Launching the rocket would be “more of a lucky hit”
Germany could hardly defend itself against Oreschnik
Updated on December 27, 2024Reading time: 1 Min.
Germany is almost defenseless against Russia’s new Oreshnik missiles. This is what an internal report from the Foreign Office suggests.
Germany is largely defenseless against a possible threat from Russia’s Oreshnik missiles. This emerges from an internal report commissioned by the Foreign Office (AA), as reported by “Bild”. The medium-range missile, which Vladimir Putin used for the first time in Ukraine at the end of November, is considered particularly difficult to defend against due to its hypersonic speed and multiple warheads.
According to the AA report, the Bundeswehr’s current Patriot systems are not suitable for such an attack. The confidential paper states that a successful launch of such a missile would be “more of a stroke of luck.” The reason for this is the weapon’s high speed, maneuverability and atomic loading capability. Putin, for his part, had repeatedly claimed that there was no way to intercept the missile,
The unusual order from the Foreign Office caused astonishment internally. Analyzes of domestic defense capability are usually the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg). Nevertheless, a liaison officer from the Federal Ministry of Defense worked on the analysis in collaboration with air defense experts. According to “Bild”, a military expert was astonished by the AA’s initiative, as this protection gap and the planned countermeasures were already known.
Shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine, the federal government decided to purchase the Israeli Arrow missile defense system, which is intended to close this gap. However, whether and when Arrow will be ready for use remains an open question. When asked by “Bild”, the federal government did not comment on the confidential report, but emphasized that the needs analysis was a regular part of its work.