France, Germany, Italy and Poland to jointly develop long-range missile

France, Germany, Italy and Poland will jointly develop missiles with a range of more than 500 kilometers. Reuters today reported on the joint statement of the defense ministers of these countries during the NATO summit in Washington. According to her, the goal of the initiative is to replenish the European arsenal, as Russia’s war in Ukraine has shown that supplies are insufficient.

The defense ministers of France, Germany and Poland announced at the end of June that they hope to jointly purchase precision weapons with longer range.

The United States will temporarily deploy long-range and hypersonic missiles in Germany starting in 2026, Washington and Berlin said on Wednesday. The temporary deployment of the new weapons is intended to bolster protection for European members of the North Atlantic Alliance.

Missiles with a range of hundreds of kilometers and a flat flight path have been in high demand again since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow launched from outside Ukraine, while Kiev tried to retaliate against targets in Russian territory.

Europe’s existing cruise missile inventory includes relatively old and expensive systems such as Britain’s Storm Shadow, France’s Scarp and Germany’s Taurus. European countries have not agreed to supply these systems to Ukraine due to concerns that European-supplied weapons deep into Russian territory could escalate the war into a regional conflict.