Germany Plans to Buy Ukrainian Bars Missiles for Bundeswehr Tests
Germany is preparing to buy its first batch of Ukrainian-designed Bars missiles for testing by its armed forces, the Financial Times reported on Monday, 26 October, citing people familiar with the plans.
According to the sources, the German government is expected to sign a deal for the initial batch in the coming weeks. The missiles would let the Bundeswehr run technical trials early next year. If the results are satisfactory, the order could grow to several hundred missiles.
What the Bars is
The Bars is a jet-powered missile with a range of up to 1,000 km and a payload of up to 105 kg, depending on the version. Ukrainians sometimes call it a "missile-drone", while Germany presents it as an inexpensive cruise missile. President Volodymyr Zelensky has named it among the weapons used to strike military bases and energy facilities inside Russia.
In recent months the Bars has also been produced in Germany by a joint Ukrainian-German venture whose work is shrouded in secrecy. The first German-made, German-funded batch was delivered to Ukraine in October. The same venture would now supply the Bundeswehr, which would make it the first known purchase of an offensive weapon developed in Ukraine for Germany's own use.
Cheaper than a Tomahawk
Berlin also plans to buy and test a small batch of Anthem cruise missiles made by the US startup Covenant. An Anthem costs roughly one tenth of a Tomahawk, which runs from $4 million to $6 million. One source said the Bars is cheaper still, but Germany is ready to buy both systems. A possible purchase of Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missile has been put on hold for now.
At present the German armed forces rely only on the air-launched Taurus cruise missile, whose range is about 500 km. Germany's plan to buy the US-made BGM-109 Tomahawk and the Typhon ground launcher from Raytheon could take up to five years to complete.
The purchase is part of a wider German effort to strengthen European deterrence against Moscow by expanding its arsenal of long-range strike weapons. More on how the war shapes European defence is in our World section.