France reignites missile ambitions amid global rearmament trends
Ballistic missiles were a prominent symbol during the Cold War. After it ended, their role was mainly reduced to strategic deterrence. Currently, as the INF disarmament treaty is now just a memory, short-range ballistic missiles are gaining renewed attention. France has recently announced its intention to develop such weapons.
Paris is "exploring the possibility" of developing its ballistic missile with a range exceeding 1,000 kilometres, as reported by the French magazine "Challenges." Although details about the advancement of the French efforts have not been disclosed yet, France has previously explored options related to the American HIMARS system and the Indian Pinaka while seeking a successor for the presently operated M270 MLRS multiple rocket launchers.
On October 30 at 10 a.m. ET, François Cormier-Bouligeon from the pro-presidential alliance Together for the Republic, during a speech before the National Assembly, stated, citing experiences from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, that "(…) very long-range strike capabilities, such as land-based ballistic missiles, constitute strategic weapons for our adversaries."
Unlike intercontinental, strategic missiles with nuclear warheads, France's efforts, which currently do not include conventional ballistic weapons with a shorter range, fit into a broader context. This type of weapon, almost eliminated by previous disarmament treaties, is gaining popularity again.
Interest is growing in ballistic missiles, which have engines that work only during launch, and cruise missiles, powered throughout their flight path.
The renaissance of long-range weapons
Evidence for this includes a letter of intent signed during the NATO summit in Washington by Poland, France, Germany, and Italy regarding work on "capabilities for precise long-range strikes." The trend of more countries seeking to acquire or regain the ability to strike targets at distances of 1,000 kilometres or more is becoming a fact.
This also includes the United States, which – although it has ATACMS missiles – is currently developing Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) with a greater range estimated at 700 kilometres.
South Korea is also expanding its long-range arsenal, working on indigenous weaponry in a specific way – Seoul is developing the capability to deliver warheads typical of a country building a nuclear triad.
This country already possesses land-based (such as Hyunmu-5) and sea-based (Hyunmoo 4 on KSS-III submarines) ballistic missiles and sea-based Chonryong cruise missiles. It is conducting intensive work on long-range air weaponry. South Korea is only differentiated from nuclear power by the fact that conventional warheads are currently found in each of these weapons.
The INF treaty and the reconstruction of lost capabilities
American Pershing ballistic missiles were one of the symbols of the Cold War. Equipped with nuclear warheads, they had a range of about 700 kilometres, and later—in the Pershing II variant—1,800 kilometres. In the 1980s, they were intended to provide NATO with the ability to destroy not the enemy's major cities and industrial centres but rather its forces, logistics, or communication nodes.
The Soviet Union possessed similar weapons, which were also deployed in satellite countries. The arsenal of ballistic missiles was complemented by cruise missiles like the BGM-109G Gryphon, a land-based variant of the Tomahawk missile, and short-range ballistic missiles like the American MGM-52 Lance or the French Pluton.
This arsenal was dismantled due to the INF treaty, and the international détente at the end of the Cold War caused the West to also renounce ballistic weapons with ranges of up to 500 kilometres.
The informal Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) also limited the range of weapons offered on the international market. Hence, the export versions of many different weapons have specified ranges slightly below 300 kilometres.
The expansion of long-range arsenals
While NATO countries eliminated their capabilities, the rest of the world dynamically closed the technical gap. Consequently, countries such as China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran currently have impressive—and continuously growing—arsenals of ballistic missiles in various classes, from short-range through medium—and intermediate-range to intercontinental missiles.
Israel recently realized how significant a threat this arsenal poses. Although the Iranian attack on this country conducted in October 2024 is often portrayed as a major success of the Israeli defence system – mistakenly equated with the Iron Dome (the lowest layer of defence) – Jerusalem has reasons for concern.
The efficiency of Israel's defence, which also involved significant U.S. forces stationed in the region, was 96 percent. Four percent of the missiles—and therefore at least a few—reached their target. A few ballistic missiles launched during the Iranian attack in April this year also reached their targets. They caused limited damage only because they were equipped with conventional warheads.
