NATO allies plan long-range missiles to counter Russian threat

The German newspaper reported on a joint initiative by Germany, Poland, France, and Italy. These countries signed a letter of intent during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., for cooperation in developing long-range cruise missiles.

According to information from "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" (FAZ), these countries are considering developing land-based weapons with a range significantly exceeding 620 miles, targeting strategic objectives in Russia. These weapons are intended to conventionally counter the nuclear threat and address Moscow's advantageous position gained by breaking the INF treaty, which called for the complete elimination of intermediate-range land-fired missiles.

The United Kingdom is also expected to participate in the project. This would bring together countries that already have experience with the Taurus and Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missiles, which have a range of 310 miles, writes the German newspaper.

Partners could develop cruise missiles or ballistic missiles, the latter with hypersonic speed. Such weapons could be directed from Germany towards Russian targets, and with a range of 1,240 miles, also towards Moscow. So far, the Bundeswehr only has the Taurus cruise missile, which can fly over 310 miles and is launched by fighter jets, FAZ reports.

According to the newspaper, this initiative is one of the actions aimed at filling gaps in NATO's defense capabilities, which have recently become evident in light of the threat from Russia. Long-range weapons are one of the five priorities. Others include logistics, especially for rapid deployment of units; modern IT technologies for communication and reconnaissance; more ground forces capable of fighting in larger formations; and significantly larger ammunition stockpiles.

Alliance military planners have based specific capability goals on this. Each country has been assigned tasks in this regard. A NATO representative quoted by FAZ speaks of "very demanding tasks."

To better coordinate the development and procurement of military equipment, NATO in Washington, D.C., adopted a commitment to expanding defense industries' capabilities, known as the NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge, abbreviated as NICE Pledge. In the future, member states will submit reports to the Alliance once a year on how they are developing their defense industries. Based on this, NATO plans to create joint procurement plans to promote cooperation and increase standardization of weapons systems, reports FAZ.

Already on Thursday, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Germany and the US announced that starting in 2026, Tomahawk cruise missiles and other long-range weapons will be deployed in Germany. Commenting on this decision, FAZ writes that it once again shows how much the threat situation in Europe has changed.

The last time such weapons needed to be deployed in (Western) Germany, it was still the Cold War. Today, Putin is waging a hot war in Ukraine and not only using rockets and cruise missiles but also threatening the West with nuclear attacks, writes commentator Nikolas Busse.

He recalls that even before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia developed cruise missiles that undermined the INF treaty. The West watched the Russian arms buildup in this area for too long without acting. It's high time to react, he emphasizes.

He adds that much depends on the outcome of the presidential elections in the US this fall. If Donald Trump returns to the White House, it's not certain he will adhere to agreements with Berlin.

For this reason alone, it is good that Germany, along with other European countries, is preparing to independently fill this serious gap in capabilities, assesses FAZ. It notes that even President Joe Biden has so far only agreed to the temporary deployment of missiles on German territory.

In one respect, Trump has already won, regardless of the election outcome: the argument that the American taxpayer should no longer pay for the defense of European allies, who can afford welfare states that America can only dream of, no longer convinces only Republican voters. Deterring Russia will require more than a special fund; it goes beyond the issue of Ukraine, assesses the journalist of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.