The defense company MBDA is developing hypersonic and precision weapons in Schrobenhausen in Bavaria, with which the Bundeswehr could in future strike far behind the enemy front line. The work takes place in largely shielded laboratories. For the first time, the news agency dpa has been granted access there. The aim is to strengthen Germany's military capabilities in the years after 2030 and thereby increase deterrence.
At the center is a so-called hypersonic glide body with a range of more than 2,500 kilometers. It flies at more than ten times the speed of sound. First, a rocket stage lifts it to great altitude; it is then released and follows a changing flight path. This maneuverability makes it difficult for air defense systems to intercept. For comparison, the Bundeswehr currently uses the Taurus cruise missile, whose range is over 500 kilometers. The glide body is thus intended to cover a distance many times that.
A further project is the HECM cruise missile with a range of over 2,000 kilometers. It is being developed under British leadership together with other partners. Great Britain is also the partner in the overarching initiative: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his British counterpart announced in May 2025 their intention to build a capability for precise deep-strike effects. The joint project is led by the United Kingdom, with Germany involved as a partner.
The weapons are intended to hit logistical supply chains and command centers deep behind the front. In addition, ground-based hypersonic missile prototypes for shorter distances, flying at more than Mach 5, are being developed. According to the developers, speed alone is less important than precise guidance to the target, which proves to be the more difficult task. MBDA also claims a world record for a low-altitude hypersonic launch at Mach 7.
A more cost-effective solution is the Black Cap, a cruise missile intended to be produced in large numbers and to serve as a carrier for 155-millimeter artillery shells. It is meant to be inexpensive and manufacturable in series, which distinguishes it from the more expensive hypersonic systems.
The development of these systems shows how heavily Germany now bases its defense on European and bilateral partnerships with Great Britain. It remains open, however, how industrial capacities can be preserved in the long term should new orders fail to materialize. This question affects the Schrobenhausen site and the supply chain alike once the development phase would have to transition into series production.