NATO to spend $1.6 billion on strengthening strike potential

NATO is implementing a number of initiatives to increase its strike potential in the area of cruise and ballistic missiles and 155-mm ammunition with a total value of $1.6 billion.

This was stated by NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska at the Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, organized as part of the NATO summit.

"Sufficient strike capabilities are extremely important for NATO to maintain deterrence and defense potential, and we need to do this faster," she said, without specifying timelines for these plans. "Allies are working on a number of multinational initiatives to develop cost-effective and innovative solutions to meet existing as well as future operational needs. One such initiative is the precision ground strike systems project, under which six allies have joined forces to develop and deliver low-cost cruise and ballistic missiles on a large scale."

Another initiative, Shekerinska noted, "includes the development of a prototype for a universal NATO 155-mm munition" and the implementation of "new contracts for the purchase of even more ammunition of this caliber."

"Our host country, Turkey, has also committed to purchasing a significant number of long-range ground-launched Atmaca cruise missiles. In total, these initiatives are estimated at approximately $1.6 billion. The war in Ukraine has shown us how much modern conflicts require such strike capabilities," the NATO deputy secretary general added.

Source: TASS