Key Developments
On 7 July 2026, NATO said Allies would invest over $40 billion in counter-drone capability and training, while HM Government announced a £2.4 billion UK-Netherlands amphibious ship partnership and HM Government committed £190 million to the Precision Strike Missile. The measures widened NATO procurement activity at the Ankara defence industry forum, according to NATO.
Key Statistics
- $40 billion in NATO Allied investment for counter-drone capabilities and drone training
- 5-fold increase planned in NATO drone operator training
- 16 flight centres involved in NATO drone training activity
- £2.4 billion value of the UK-Netherlands maritime partnership
- 4 amphibious transport ships planned for each of the UK and the Netherlands
- £190 million UK investment in the Precision Strike Missile programme
- 500 km maximum stated range for the Precision Strike Missile
Main Body
On 7 July 2026, NATO said Allies had committed more than $40 billion to counter-drone systems and drone training. On the same day, HM Government announced a £2.4 billion maritime partnership with the Netherlands, and HM Government announced £190 million for the British Army’s Precision Strike Missile programme.
NATO said the counter-drone package included a marketplace for equipment, a fivefold expansion of drone operator training, and a surveillance drone contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars. HM Government said the UK-Netherlands project would provide four amphibious transport ships for each country and support skilled shipbuilding jobs. HM Government said the missile could strike targets up to 500 km away.
The announcements followed wider NATO procurement activity in Ankara, where NATO said Allies had presented tens of billions of dollars in new procurements. HM Government had previously set out a £298 billion Defence Investment Plan, as GPS previously reported. The Netherlands Ministry of Defence had also described a plan to build a force prepared for future threats.
The practical importance was industrial as well as operational. NATO linked parallel work on critical raw materials to more resilient defence supply chains, while HM Government tied the ship partnership to NATO capability and UK industry. Together, the announcements showed Allies using joint procurement, co-production and national funding to improve readiness and deterrence.
