The German Navy has successfully launched two Israeli-made LORA ballistic missiles from one of its F125-class frigates. The LORA has an officially stated range of 90 to 430 kilometers. At first glance, this could suggest that Germany now has a ballistic missile capable of striking targets in russia from the sea at ranges of up to 430 kilometers.
However, the key question is whether this test represents an actual long-range strike capability for the German Navy, and what broader conclusions can be drawn from it.
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According to German defence outlet Hartpunkt, the test launches of the Israeli LORA missiles were conducted as part of the Bundeswehr’s Operational Experimentation (OPEX) program. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the manufacturer of the missile, was directly involved in the trials.
The specific parameters of the launches have not been disclosed. It is only known that both launches were successful. The tests were conducted from the F125-class frigate Sachsen-Anhalt. Two LORA launch canisters were placed on the ship’s flight deck, along with the associated command and control equipment.
German Navy Commander Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack described the test as historically significant, saying that the successful launch demonstrated new capabilities for Germany and its allies and represented a new chapter in maritime deterrence and defence readiness.
At Defense Express, we would like to draw attention to several details.
First, Naval LORA launches from a maritime platform were reportedly demonstrated as early as 2017. This, in turn, allows the LORA system to be viewed as a highly versatile missile system.
The status of LORA within the Israel Defense Forces is not entirely clear from publicly available information. Azerbaijan has been the best-known export customer of the system, while there has been no public announcement that Germany has purchased LORA.
It is therefore unclear whether the developments described above mean that Germany has now become a LORA customer. Neither Germany nor Israel has made any public announcement to that effect, and there had been no leaks indicating such a deal before these tests.
Meanwhile, the choice of an F125-class frigate as a platform for ballistic missiles appears fairly logical, particularly given the class’s relatively light armament, including its limited air-defense capabilities. This is one reason why there have been plans to integrate the IRIS-T SLM surface-to-air missile system onto these frigates.
Ivan Kyrychevskiy, serviceman of the 413th Raid Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine and weapons expert at Defense Express.
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