Rheinmetall has joined forces with Destinus to develop cruise missiles and munitions for multiple launch rocket systems, including equivalents to GMLRS used by M142 HIMARS. This partnership appears well grounded, as Destinus supplies Ukraine with its Ruta missiles, which are already in operational use.
In the second half of 2026, the two companies plan to establish a joint venture, Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems. It will focus on developing advanced missile systems and improving existing ones, with plans to market them across Europe and other NATO countries, potentially involving local industry.
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Under the arrangement, Destinus will hold a 49% stake and continue developing core technologies and system components. Rheinmetall, with a 51% share, will provide its industrial base in Germany for large-scale production.
The companies emphasize that global demand for long-range strike systems is already rising and could reach tens of thousands of units once European and allied procurement adapts to the new reality. This means that small production batches will not be sufficient.
Overall, this is a typical partnership between an innovative smaller company and a large industrial player capable of scaling production. The Ruta cruise missile is already in use by Ukraine's Defense Forces, and a new Block 2 version is currently under development.
Another important area of cooperation is munitions for multiple launch rocket systems. At present, Europe lacks its own widely available solutions in this segment and relies on systems such as the M142 HIMARS, South Korea's K239 Chunmoo, and Israel's PULS. France is also developing its own system, which is approaching the testing phase.
Rheinmetall is working on its own GMARS project, an adaptation of HIMARS mounted on the RMMV HX truck chassis. At the same time, the company is expected to rapidly develop a domestic rocket artillery solution for Spain, which has expressed reluctance to procure U.S.-made systems.
Overall, the emergence of another European MLRS project could significantly strengthen the region's autonomy in defense procurement. However, questions remain regarding the timeline for such a program.
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