Britain is considering developing long-range missiles that can take out President Putin’s nuclear weapons launched from inside Russia as fears mount in Europe that he may be prepared to use them.
The UK has signalled it will work with Germany to build a weapon with a range of about 2,000 miles, diplomatic sources disclosed.
Allies envisage the weapon being able to travel from as far as Berlin to Moscow in the event that Putin decides to launch tactical nuclear weapons.
John Healey, the British defence secretary, is understood to have discussed the project with his German counterpart in Berlin on Wednesday. He was there as part of a 48-hour diplomatic tour around Europe to bolster co-operation between the UK and its allies and push his “Nato-first” defence strategy.
Under the plans, the long-range missiles would be stationed in Germany, replacing US missiles that will be deployed there in the coming years.
These are Submarine based and have comparably small warheads. Submarines are mainly for limited 2. strike abilities. Land based ICBMs are the main deterrent, followed by nuclear bombers to a lesser extent.
Bombers, Submarines and Land based launchers are what is considered the nuclear triad.
Also the signalling here is that Europe is emancipating from the US, which is crucial, given how easy a win for the Republican party could leave Ukraine and Europe hanging. And if the Republicans can be bought for cheap, it is not too expensive to buy the Democrats either.