On July 11 2024 in Washington, during NATO’s 75th anniversary summit, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland signed a letter of intent to jointly develop ground-launched cruise missiles with a range exceeding 500 km. This initiative aims to address what these nations perceive as a gap in European arsenals, a concern highlighted by the conflict in Ukraine.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated that the new missile would serve as a deterrent. He expressed hope for broader participation in the project, suggesting that the new British Labour government might also join. Lecornu highlighted the economic benefit of this collaboration, which would allow for the amortization of costs among participating nations.
During this announcement, Lecornu also mentioned that initial drafts of the missile could be ready by the end of the year, with detailed specifications such as the exact range to be finalized later. This statement came a day after Washington and Berlin announced they would begin deploying U.S. long-range missiles on German soil in 2026, including SM-6s, Tomahawks, and developmental hypersonic weapons.
This development occurs as Russia has been accused of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), prompting the United States to withdraw from the agreement in 2019. The INF Treaty, signed in 1987, banned nuclear and conventional ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 km. The reintroduction of this category of weapons by NATO allies is seen as a direct response to emerging threats and Russian military developments.