The United States’ decision to dramatically increase its long-range fire capabilities in Europe starting in 2026 appears set to trigger a response from Russia, as a new missile race gathers pace in Europe. Announced yesterday, the U.S. plan calls for “episodic deployments” followed by “longer-term stationing” of various types of long-range missiles suggesting that, eventually, at least some of these weapons will be permanently deployed in Germany, in a throwback to the Cold War era.

The United States will deploy to Germany a range of advanced ground-launched weapons, including the SM-6 multi-purpose missile and Tomahawk cruise missile as well as “developmental hypersonic weapons” — a reference to the yet-to-be-fielded Dark Eagle and potentially others, like the Operational Fires (OpFires) ground-launched hypersonic missile system and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) short-range ballistic missile, both of which are also now in development.

RTX's (RTX.N), opens new tab Raytheon Technologies said on Thursday that it has been awarded a $1.2 billion contract to supply Germany with additional Patriot air and missile defense systems.

The new order marks the second Patriot order for Germany this year.

US intelligence discovered earlier this year that the Russian government planned to assassinate the chief executive of a powerful German arms manufacturer that has been producing artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine, according to five US and western officials familiar with the episode.

The plot was one of a series of Russian plans to assassinate defense industry executives across Europe who were supporting Ukraine’s war effort, these sources said. The plan to kill Armin Papperger, a white-haired goliath who has led the German manufacturing charge in support of Kyiv, was the most mature.

• 1 PATRIOT air defense systems with spare parts
• PATRIOT missiles
• 2 TRML-4D air surveillance radars
• Ammunition for Leopard 1
• 9,000 rounds ammunitions for Gepard
• 55,000 rounds 155mm ammunition
• 30 Vector reconnaissance drones
• 200 mobile drone jammers
• 10 unmanned surface vessels
• 1 Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicles
• 4 Wisent 1 mine clearing tanks
• 39 SatCom terminals
• 150 night vision goggles
• 2 Pick-ups
• 10 protected vehicles
• 58,000 rounds 40mm ammunition
• 93,000 smoke grenades
• 10,000 detonators
• 800 MK 556 assault rifles
• 10 HLR precision rifles with 240,000 rounds ammunition
• 150 CR 308 rifles
• 250 MG5 machine guns

Germany's budget committee has approved the purchase of an additional 4 PATRIOT Fire Units in the PAC-3 configuration for ~$1.46 billion. They already have 4 PAC-3 Fire Units on order from Raytheon via a $1.2 billion Direct Commercial Sale contract, signed in March. With a total of 3 of their older PATRIOT FUs committed to Ukraine, this procurement of 8 new FUs is a significant expansion of the Luftwaffe's air defense force.

Also included is 100 PAC-2 GEM missiles.