Europe pushes for mass-produced low-cost missiles amid Ukraine war pressures

Intense missile and drone attacks on Ukraine have highlighted the scarcity of precision weapons in peacetime inventories, leading European states to look for cheaper, mass-producible alternatives. Start-ups like Destinus received a €250 million order for 700 Block 2 cruise missiles, while the UK signed its first deal with Cambridge Aerospace for Skyhammer interceptors. Industry leaders stress that the bottleneck is no longer design but the ability to maintain high-rate manufacturing.

New projects aim to cut the cost of intercepting a target from tens of millions to around one to two million euros per unit. Investment is flowing into these firms, with Cambridge Aerospace raising $300 million and Destinus seeking further funding ahead of a planned stock market debut. The push aligns with NATO’s pledge to raise defence spending to 5 % of GDP by 2035 and the EU’s SAFE programme.