Rüstungsprojekte: US-Rüstungsfirma will Marschflugkörper in Sachsen bauen

The US-Israeli defense company Covenant plans to establish a major production facility for long-range cruise missiles in Saxony, Germany. In its first year of operation, the company aims to produce around 1,000 units, with the target increasing to 5,000 units annually. Covenant's CEO, Abigail Denburg, revealed that the production of the Anthem missile system is scheduled to begin in Leipzig in the coming year for European customers.

Covenant also maintains a factory in Dallas, Texas, to supply American forces. The missile can carry a 200-kilogram warhead, though the exact range is not disclosed. The system is intended for precision strikes deep into enemy territory, referred to as "deep strike." Covenant aims to offer the weapon system at a significantly lower cost than existing alternatives on the market.

Denburg stated that the system will cost less than a million dollars, while other similar weapons typically cost several million US dollars each. The extensive production of such weapons is deemed crucial for deterring opponents and making customers more resilient. Denburg mentioned that there are already talks with the Bundeswehr and the procurement authority, though these are not officially confirmed.

Denburg revealed that a production contract for deliveries from Germany is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027. "This European customer will decide when to announce this," she said. Covenant also has a general as a consultant. The company was founded in 2024 and is headquartered in Washington. It has raised over 250 million US dollars (215 million euros) in three financing rounds, with Founders Found among the investors, including Peter Thiel, known for his libertarian and right-conservative positions, his proximity to former US President Donald Trump, and his criticism of liberal democracies.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has previously expressed "explicit" concerns about Thiel. The potential creation of new dependencies or the possibility of being caught without sufficient ammunition reserves in a conflict scenario have been publicly discussed. In Germany, Generalleutnant a.D. Andreas Marlow, a former deputy of the Army Inspector and the EU training mission for Ukrainian forces, has been consulted as a consultant.

Marlow has stated that an extensive rocket system is "the missing puzzle piece in our deterrence architecture." Covenant is seen as an alternative to the Tomahawk missile. Germany and European NATO allies are currently seeking long-range weapons systems to counter the Russian threat and develop them domestically. At the NATO summit in Ankara, Germany and the US agreed to purchase US Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The German Navy successfully completed a test of the Israeli Lora ballistic missile in September. Germany already possesses the Taurus missile system from the defense contractor MBDA, but it is not prepared for mass production. European NATO countries currently lack their own medium-range weapons. Several allies aim to have an independent weapon system for long-range precision strikes against high-value targets from the enemy in the medium term.

This was initiated at the NATO summit in Washington in 2024 under the project Elsa ("European Long-Range Strike Approach").