Inside Germany's $14 Billion Plan to Deter Russia

Key Points:

• The German government plans to spend nearly €12 billion ($14 billion) on developing a new arsenal of long-range weapons capable of striking targets deep behind enemy lines to deter Russia, according to defense ministry documents.
• The multi-phase plan includes deploying a low-cost cruise missile as early as 2027, acquiring American Tomahawk missiles by the end of the decade, and jointly developing advanced cruise and hypersonic missiles with the UK by the mid-2030s.
• Germany aims to field a mix of cost-effective, mass-producible missiles alongside more sophisticated systems to overwhelm enemy defenses and maintain conventional strike capabilities below the nuclear threshold.
• The hypersonic weapon project accounts for the largest share of the budget, with nearly €9 billion allocated for its development and procurement, highlighting Germany's commitment to cutting-edge deterrence technology.
• This initiative marks a strategic shift for Germany, emphasizing rapid deployment of diverse missile capabilities to counter potential Russian threats to NATO territory by the decade's end.