MBDA considers boom of long-range missiles in Europe

COLOGNE, Germany — Pan-European missile manufacturer MBDA is positioning itself as a prime candidate to develop a European long-range missile that would strengthen the continent’s deterrence posture following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war there.

Calls for such a weapon come from the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA), a French initiative joined by Germany, Poland and Italy at the NATO summit in Washington last week.

With a range of over 1,000 kilometers, the missile would deliver in significant numbers what the German Defense Ministry describes as the “deep precision strike” capability required by NATO. The multinational initiative will involve “joint development and procurement,” according to a statement published online by the German Defense Ministry following a meeting of defense ministers from Germany, France and Poland last month.

Although MBDA does not indicate that it is being considered as a contractor, the company’s management has presented a new rocket that would meet the requirements.

The company unveiled its Land Cruise Missile in June at the Eurosatory defence exhibition near Paris, touting the system as a “unique sovereign European solution” for land-based deep-strike capabilities with stealth and terrain-tracking capabilities. The LCM is based on the naval cruise missile used on French frigates and attack submarines and has a range of more than 1,000 kilometres.

The missile manufacturer welcomed the letter of intent signed in Washington for the ability to carry out precise deep strikes as “a new step for the European industry” in a Article from 12 July on social network X, saying it had “unrivalled capabilities” in Europe to develop such capabilities. MBDA added that it was the only company with the technology, expertise and cross-border partnerships to deliver deep strike systems developed in Europe.

In addition to the French naval cruise missile, MBDA produces the Franco-British air-launched cruise missile Scalp/Storm Shadow and the German Taurus missile, which have a shorter range. The company is by far the largest European missile manufacturer, with sales of 4.5 billion euros in 2023 and a Order backlog of 28 billion euros At the end of last year.

The French government has repeatedly described MBDA as a successful model for European defence cooperation. The company is a pan-European joint venture between Airbus, Britain’s BAE Systems and Italy’s Leonardo. Local offices in the UK, France, Germany and Italy offer the governments of these countries the opportunity to protect some national defence interests.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Polish Ministry of Defense told Defense News that Poland is in dialogue with its allies on developing capabilities in all operational areas, including the ability to launch long-range strikes.

“One of these initiatives is the ELSA programme, which is the subject of international analysis and consultations that may also produce further recommendations and decisions on this issue,” the spokesman said. “The development of the ability to conduct precision strikes over long distances is now widely recognised as a key element in responding to negative changes in the international security environment. This capability is not only of operational but also of strategic importance and represents an important part of the defence and deterrence posture.”

The ministry official did not provide information on whether Poland’s defense industry might be involved in developing the program and what capabilities it might contribute to the joint project. The country’s defense sector is dominated by state-owned defense giant PGZ. In cooperation with foreign partners, the group leads Poland’s industrial efforts to improve the military’s artillery and missile capabilities, among others.

“The decision on Poland’s possible accession to this programme will depend, among other things, on whether its final scope is compatible with our capacity development needs,” the spokesman said.

According to a joint statement by the US and German governments released last week during the NATO summit, the US will begin deploying long-range weapons in Germany starting in 2026. The weapons will include SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles, as well as “developmental hypersonic weapons,” the statement added.

Rudy Ruitenberg in Paris and Jaroslaw Adamowski in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report.