Germany Makes Naval History With First Warship-Launched Ballistic Missile in Signal to Russia

Germany has successfully launched an Israeli-made LORA ballistic missile from a German Navy warship during a live-fire test in the North Atlantic, demonstrating a new long-range strike capability for its fleet.

According to the UK Defence Journal on September 6, two German frigates deployed to waters between Ireland and Iceland for the trial, which had not been publicly disclosed before its completion. A containerized LORA launcher was installed on the deck of one of the vessels.

The outlet described the previously undisclosed test as a direct signal to Moscow, pointing to European efforts to develop longer-range strike capabilities. NATO also presented the launch as part of a broader shift toward greater European responsibility for deterrence.

NATO Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum subsequently confirmed the test, saying the launch had been conducted secretly before being publicly revealed.

“Kept secret. Now revealed. The German Navy just tested the Israeli LORA ballistic missile from a German frigate in the North Atlantic—quietly, deliberately and with a range of 500+ km,” the command said.

Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, Inspector of the German Navy, described the launch as a milestone for Germany’s naval forces. “With the successful launch of a ballistic missile last night in the North Atlantic, we made naval history. I am extremely satisfied with this achievement,” Kaack said.

He added that the weapon “can be successfully deployed from our units, and the potential range exceeds anything we have known before.”

The missile used in the trial was the LORA, or Long-Range Artillery Weapon System, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The company lists the missile with a range of approximately 400 kilometers and an accuracy of within 10 meters, while NATO described the weapon tested by Germany as having a range exceeding 500 kilometers.

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According to IAI, the LORA was fired from an operational German vessel equipped with a command trailer and launcher. The missile completed its planned flight path and successfully struck its designated target, with the company saying the system met the objectives established for the trial.

The launch was conducted under the German Navy’s OPEX initiative, which allows new weapons, technologies, and operational concepts to be tested rapidly under conditions designed to approximate operational deployment. The program forms part of Germany’s broader Marine 2035 and Beyond modernization effort.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Germany’s accusations against Moscow over the attempted explosive-drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport marked “the start of a real war,” while also accusing Chancellor Friedrich Merz of “declaring war” on Russia.

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