BERLIN (VINnews) — The German Navy successfully test-fired an Israeli-made LORA ballistic missile in the North Atlantic overnight, military officials said Wednesday, and said it would now move ahead with plans to buy the long-range system.
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The test of the LORA missile, built by Israel Aerospace Industries, came hours after Berlin publicly blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack last month at Leipzig/Halle Airport and announced retaliatory measures, including the closure of Russia’s consulate in Bonn.
Germany does not currently field ballistic missiles, which travel at much higher speeds than the cruise missiles already in its arsenal. The Israeli-built system has a range of more than 500 kilometers (310 miles), German officials said.
Two German frigates were sent to waters between Ireland and Iceland for the previously undisclosed trial. Shipping and air traffic in the area had been warned 45 days in advance, though most preparations were kept secret.
“With the successful launch of a ballistic missile last night in the North Atlantic, we have made naval history. I am extremely pleased with this achievement,” Navy chief Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack told the German news agency dpa.
Kaack said German ships can deploy the system and that “the potential range exceeds anything we have known before.” In a separate statement, he said the trial “marks a new chapter in deterrence and maritime defense readiness.”
IAI said the missile was launched from an operational German vessel in a dual trial, followed its planned trajectory and struck its target with high precision. “Both the weapon system and the missile successfully met all the trial’s objectives,” the company said.
IAI Chairman Boaz Levy called the firing “an unprecedented achievement for IAI and the Israeli Ministry of Defense,” and said it demonstrated the “unique cooperation between Israel and Germany.” He linked the test to the earlier deployment of Israel’s Arrow 3 missile-defense system on German soil.
LORA, short for Long Range Attack or Long Range Artillery, is a short-range, quasi-ballistic precision missile that can be fired from land or sea. IAI lists a typical range of 90 to 430 kilometers (56 to 267 miles) and an accuracy of about 10 meters. German officials cited a longer potential range after the naval trial.
Berlin is also working with allies on new long-range missiles and reviewing off-the-shelf purchases as Western governments seek to strengthen deterrence against Russia. Germany’s existing Taurus cruise missile already has a range of more than 500 kilometers.
On Tuesday, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said investigators had concluded that Russia was responsible for the Aug. 4 incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major cargo hub used in part for shipments linked to Ukraine. An explosives-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane and failed to detonate. Moscow denied involvement.
No purchase contract for LORA has been announced. Officials did not disclose how many missiles or launchers Germany might seek if procurement proceeds.