Keir Starmer strikes major deal with France on key weapon

Britain and France will ramp up their efforts to create a new Storm Shadow missile, Sir Keir Starmer has announced. The countries will order more of the highly lethal arms while work to design a replacement deepstrike and anti-ship weapon continues, the Ministry of Defence said.

The deal with France will sustain 1,300 highly skilled jobs across the UK, while upgrading the existing production lines will support more than 300 jobs at manufacturer MBDA. Sir Keir said: "From war in Europe, to new nuclear risks and daily cyber-attacks - the threats we face are multiplying.

"As close partners and NATO allies, the UK and France have a deep history of defence collaboration and today's agreements take our partnership to the next level.

"We stand ready to use our shared might to advance our joint capabilities - equipping us for the decades to come while supporting thousands of UK jobs and keeping our people safe."

The Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French cruise missile with a maximum range of around 155 miles.

It is launched from an aircraft and flies at close to the speed of sound before dropping down and detonating its high-explosive warhead.

The Storm Shadow is considered an ideal weapon for penetrating hardened bunkers and ammunition stores, such as those used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Sir Keir and French president Emmanuel Macron will on Thursday agree to work more closely than ever before on nuclear deterrence.

A newly signed declaration will state for the first time that the respective deterrents of both countries are independent but can be co-ordinated.

It will add that there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by both nations.

Defence Secretary John Healey said: "The UK and France are stepping up together to meet today's threats and tomorrow's challenges.

"We are committed to driving defence as an engine for growth, delivering better fighting capabilities faster, and ensuring our armed forces can operate side by side - from the High North to the Black Sea.

"This partnership strengthens our leadership in Europe, ensures continued support for Ukraine, and sends a clear signal to our adversaries that we stand stronger, together."

Meanwhile, the UK wants to gain access to the EU's multi-billion-pound weapons fund by the end of the year, it has been reported.

The Government is set to press France on the matter during Mr Macron's state visit, which ends on Thursday.

A senior Government source suggested that access to the 150billion euro (£126billion) rearmament loans fund was the UK's most urgent priority in attempting to deliver on the promise of Sir Keir's Brexit reset deal agreed with the EU in May.