Germany and France Seek Their Own Oreshnik System

France and Germany have expressed interest in a long-range ballistic missile being developed by the aerospace company ArianeGroup.

Reuters reports that France’s Ministry of Armed Forces is currently in talks with ArianeGroup about the system. According to the developer, the missile can hit targets at ranges of more than 1,000 kilometers.

The company also confirmed that it is in contact with the German government and is providing information about the missile’s capabilities.

ArianeGroup is holding “preliminary talks with several countries” about how this weapon fits into the current geopolitical context, citing Russia’s ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine and the use of similar weapons in the Middle East.

Germany’s and France’s defense ministries have not yet commented on this information.

The increased scale of Russia’s use of missile weaponry has prompted several European countries to seek their own capabilities for striking deep into enemy territory. Last month, Russia used the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile in Ukraine for the second time.

“We are within the range of these missiles,” French President Emmanuel Macron said last month, emphasizing that Europe must develop similar weapons to deter Russia and ensure the continent’s security.

France’s budget includes up to one billion euros for a program to develop a ground-launched missile.

However, according to Zuzanna Gwadera, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Europe is still far from creating such weapons.

She noted that various European initiatives on deep-strike capabilities, which may also involve the use of cruise missiles, are currently mostly at the conceptual design stage.

France is the only European NATO member state that has its own ballistic missile development program – the submarine-launched M51 missile, developed by ArianeGroup, the largest European manufacturer of space launch vehicles.

The company, co-owned by Airbus and Safran, said it could use its expertise to create a ground-based conventional ballistic missile within a few years.