Ukraine's Bars missile drone first attracted attention after being used in long-range strikes against russian targets, although details about the weapon remained largely undisclosed for months. Now, the system is set to enter joint production with Germany.
The implementation agreement was signed by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. According to the announcement, the project is the result of joint efforts by the defense ministries of both countries under the Build with Ukraine initiative.
Read more: New Details Emerge on Ukraine's Bars RS Missile After Moscow Strikes: 1,000 km Range and Combat Use Revealed
The first phase of the joint production program will be financed by Germany. As with similar bilateral projects, all missile drones produced during this initial stage will be delivered to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
From Defense Express's perspective, Germany's decision to localize production of Ukrainian long-range strike systems is a logical one. These are already mature weapons that are in serial production and have demonstrated their effectiveness under real combat conditions.
Germany has recently been searching for ways to strengthen its long-range strike arsenal. Berlin has attempted to acquire Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, but without notable success so far. Meanwhile, production of the Taurus KEPD 350 has yet to resume, while the Land Cruise Missile (LCM) is not expected to become available for procurement until 2029 at the earliest. As a result, Germany has begun evaluating readily available Ukrainian and Israeli long-range strike systems to bridge the capability gap.
Although the first production batches will be supplied exclusively to Ukraine, the program will allow Germany to build the industrial expertise required to manufacture the system for its own armed forces in the future. At the same time, production facilities located in Germany will be significantly less vulnerable to russian strikes.
As for the Bars itself, it is not a single weapon but an entire family of missile drones. The systems first appeared in public reporting following strikes on various russian military targets. Their external design was revealed in December 2025, while the Bars RS variant was publicly presented with technical specifications at the Eurosatory 2026 defense exhibition. Notably, these missile drones may have been among the systems used during the large-scale combined strike on Moscow on June 18.
Based on publicly available information, it is reasonable to assume that Diehl Defence will be responsible for localizing production in Germany. The company is already well known for its missile programs and has recently expressed interest in manufacturing Ukraine's Bars missile drones as well as the Flamingo cruise missile.
Diehl Defence is also cooperating with Fire Point on the Freya ballistic missile interceptor project. As a result, further announcements regarding German-Ukrainian defense-industrial cooperation can be expected.
Overall, the agreement follows the same model as other joint defense production initiatives. Ukraine secures additional funding for weapons supplied to its Defense Forces, while its partner develops domestic industrial capacity that can later be used to meet its own military requirements.
Read more: Ukrainian Fire Point Aims to Develop Low-Cost Anti-Ballistic Air Defense System Under Project Freya
