Netherlands Destinus accelerates Ruta Block 3 long-range missile development using Ukrainian experience

Dutch defense company Destinus, a major supplier of strike drones to Ukraine, announced Monday the accelerated start of the Ruta Block 3 program, designed for high-precision strikes at a range of 2,000 km, and announced flight tests for 2,000 km class missiles for 2027.

"Ruta Block 3 will be based on the Ruta architecture, which has moved from battlefield verification to serial industrial production… Built on operational experience in Ukraine, the system is being developed and implemented within the framework of European design legislation and the Destinus production base," the company press release said.

Ruta Block 1 missiles are already in serial production in the Netherlands, with Destinus expanding annual production capacity across Europe. Ruta Block 2, developed with the support of Ukrainian company Brave1, is already undergoing flight tests in Ukraine, with production planned for 2026.

"The program is designed to transition European long-range missiles from limited stockpiles to sustainable industrial production. It is structured across three industrial hubs. In the Netherlands, Destinus serves as the engineering and design center and the primary RUTA production site, already manufacturing this family on a large scale. In Ukraine, Destinus will participate in both development and operational testing of Ruta Block 3, and will also serve as a production center for key components. In Germany, the planned Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems joint venture is expected to add high-performance production, qualification, and final integration capacities for the Bundeswehr and broader European institutional clients," the message said.

Production at the Rheinmetall site is planned to begin with Ruta Block 1 and Block 2 in 2026-27 in addition to existing production in the Netherlands, while Block 3 will begin after passing flight tests and qualification.

"We are ready to establish the Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems joint venture with our partner Destinus by the end of this year and provide these capabilities to our customers as soon as possible. We are pleased to produce and deliver the first missiles from our site in Unterlüss by the end of 2026," Rheinmetall AG CEO Armin Papperger said.

Ruta Block 3 will be equipped with the Destinus T220 turbojet engine, currently under development, and a 250 kg class warhead. The missile is designed for long-range missions in difficult environments. The system will combine advanced autonomous navigation for GNSS-degraded environments with terminal sensing and guidance capabilities, as well as a standard containerized launcher architecture supporting land, sea, and stationary deployments.

All development, production, and export activities will be carried out in accordance with current national and European legislation, export control rules, and necessary government permits.

Destinus is a private European defense and aerospace company that designs and manufactures autonomous strike and air defense systems in Europe for European and allied armed forces.