The Netherlands has announced that it is joining a French initiative to develop long-range missiles to strengthen Europe's defences, the country's defence minister Ruben Brekelmans said. The project, called ELSA (European Long-Range Strike Armament), will see the Netherlands working with Germany, Italy, Poland, the UK and Sweden. 

"European countries need long-range missiles to deter Russia. In Paris, I announced that the Netherlands also wants to participate in this initiative. Together with our partners, we are ready to do more to strengthen Europe's defense," — said Brekelmans. 

France, the initiator of the project, is considering the possibility of creating a medium-range ballistic missile with a range of up to 1000 kilometers. According to the French publication Challenges, this project is currently at the discussion stage between the command of the French armed forces and the Directorate for the Acquisition of Arms (DGA). Such a missile is capable of striking, among other things, Moscow from the territory of the Baltic states.

France is focusing on the compact size of the missile, which will reduce the costs of its development and production. This, in turn, will increase the number of units, which is a key factor.