NATO gears up for enhanced cooperation on long-range weapons

NATO must fill gaps in its capabilities. This is the purpose of the initiative by Poland, Germany, France, and Italy regarding long-range weapons, writes "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung."

The German newspaper reported on a joint initiative of Germany, Poland, France, and Italy, which signed a letter of intent during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., regarding cooperation in the development of 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 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) which can target strategic objectives in Russia." These are meant "to counter the nuclear threat conventionally" and also to balance the advantageous position that Moscow secured by breaking the INF treaty regarding 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 with experience with the Taurus and Storm Shadow/Scalp cruise missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometres (310 miles)," writes the German newspaper.

"Partners could develop cruise or ballistic missiles, the latter with hypersonic speed. Such weapons could be directed from Germany towards Russian targets, and with a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles), also towards Moscow. So far, the Bundeswehr only has the Taurus cruise missile, which can fly over 500 kilometres (310 miles) and is launched by fighter jets," reads "FAZ."

According to the newspaper, this initiative is one of the actions aimed at filling gaps in NATO's defence 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 surveillance; more ground forces that can fight 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 expand defence industries' capabilities - 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 defence 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 from 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 fill this 'serious gap in capabilities independently'," assesses "FAZ." It notes that even President Joe Biden has 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 defence 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."