Berlin is planning a multi-layered missile arsenal capable of striking targets hundreds, or even thousands, of kilometres behind the front line

Germany is pushing forward with a plan worth almost €12 billion to build a new arsenal of long-range missiles, aiming to strengthen its deterrent power against Russia and gain the ability to strike military targets deep behind the front line.

According to internal German Defence Ministry documents cited by Politico, Berlin regards the programme as a top priority for both Germany and NATO, at a time when European countries are accelerating their rearmament in response to what they see as a growing threat from Russia.

The new capabilities would allow the German armed forces to strike command centres, airfields, missile launchers, supply hubs and other critical infrastructure at distances of hundreds, or even thousands, of kilometres. The internal documents state that the aim is for Germany to be able to strike “deep in an adversary’s rear” while maintaining a conventional response capability “below the nuclear threshold.”

The overall plan is structured around four pillars.

The first weapons could enter service as early as 2027, while the most advanced systems, to be developed jointly with the United Kingdom, are scheduled for the mid-2030s.

The Defence Ministry estimates that “almost €12 billion” will be required, although funding has not yet been approved. The relevant sums have been included in the government’s fiscal planning process and will need to pass through the Bundestag.

Germany’s Defence Ministry declined to comment on individual sums and programmes, saying only that the relevant decisions are subject to approval by the federal parliament.

The first missiles as early as 2027

The fastest-moving strand of the programme involves developing a new, low-cost cruise missile, which Germany wants to begin bringing into service from 2027.

Berlin is looking at systems that can be procured in large numbers and brought into service quickly. The documents name three candidate missiles: the Anthem from the US-Israeli startup Covenant Industries, the BARS offered by an unnamed Ukrainian company, and the Flamingo from Ukraine’s Fire Point.

Germany is already in negotiations with two of these suppliers, aiming to receive missiles for certification within the next year. At the same time, framework agreements are being prepared to allow for mass production later on.

The documents describe this particular system as a “cost-effective and, above all, mass-producible” weapon, one that could be used alongside far more expensive long-range munitions.

According to Berlin, this choice reflects one of the key lessons of the war in Ukraine: that large numbers of cheaper drones and missiles can saturate enemy air defences and make it possible to strike critical infrastructure.

Germany’s Defence Ministry had already pointed out that the ability to strike important targets deep behind enemy lines is now “essential for credible deterrence.”

Tomahawks to fill the gap

The second pillar of the plan concerns the purchase of American systems.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced in the Bundestag in early July that Germany had reached an agreement with the US government, during the NATO Summit in Ankara, to acquire Tomahawk cruise missiles and deploy them on German soil. “We are closing an important strategic gap in our defence,” Merz said, adding that Germany would simultaneously develop its own European systems.

Berlin’s goal, according to the documents, is to have an initial operational capability by the end of the decade, using American Typhon launchers equipped with Tomahawks.

Acquiring the American system will allow Germany to field an already proven long-range weapon while the European programmes are being completed.

Joint weapons with Britain for targets beyond 2,000 kilometres

The final two pillars of the programme are being developed jointly with the United Kingdom.

The two countries are working on a new advanced cruise missile, as well as a hypersonic glide weapon, under the Trinity House agreement they signed last year.

The aim is to achieve an initial operational capability in the mid-2030s. The two governments have already announced that the new weapons should be able to strike targets at distances beyond 2,000 kilometres.

This is also the most expensive part of Germany’s planning.

One of the internal documents allocates almost €9 billion for the development and procurement of these weapons, plus a further €182 million to keep them in service.

Another €1.8 billion is earmarked for the development and purchase of cruise missiles, with €97 million set aside for their maintenance.

The individual sums add up to around €11 billion, while the ministry puts the total funding requirement at “almost €12 billion.”

A doctrinal shift for Berlin

The programme marks a substantial shift in how Germany approaches deterrence.

Rather than waiting for the development of a single advanced European missile, Berlin is seeking to build a multi-layered arsenal: cheaper missiles that can be mass-produced and used in large numbers, American Tomahawks to fill the gap immediately, and advanced European systems to follow later.

The acceleration of the programme comes as Germany’s military leadership warns that Russia could acquire the capability to attack NATO territory by the end of the decade.

The logic behind the new doctrine is that even if deterrence fails, critical Russian military infrastructure should not be considered safe simply because it lies a long way from the front line.