"A serious gap": Germany, France and Poland to develop joint long-range cruise missile to close gap with Russia

European countries will jointly develop a new long-range surface-to-surface missile to match Russia's weapons systems.

Here's What We Know

At a meeting with his counterparts in Paris on Monday 24 June, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that the countries had discussed the creation of a mechanism for the acquisition of precision long-range weapons. This includes cruise missiles to strengthen defence capabilities, especially against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

"High-precision long-range strike systems are a serious gap in Europe's capabilities," he explained to Pistorius.

At the press conference, the German minister also added that he plans to involve even more European countries in the development of the project. The first step in creating a new weapons system is to sign a protocol of intent at the NATO summit in Washington.

It is worth noting that the French development of the Missile de Croisière Naval (MdCN) could become a potential basis for the future cruise missile. It is also known as SCALP Naval and is a sea-launched cruise missile with a range of up to 1,000 km, which was developed by MBDA in 2017.

Source: Defence Industry Europe