European defense cooperation on long-range ground-launched strike capabilities is gaining momentum, with the six-nation ELSA coalition expected to name lead contractors in June, French lawmaker Jean-Louis Thiériot told parliament last week.
Thiériot, co-author of a recent French parliamentary report on artillery, said ELSA, or the European Long-range Strike Approach, has divided development into 13 pillars, with lead roles to be assigned based on a “best athlete” model. France is positioned to play a key role through ArianeGroup in ballistic technologies. The project includes France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Sweden and the U.K., which signed on between July and October 2024.
The initiative aims to fill a critical gap in Europe’s conventional deep-strike arsenal, particularly in comparison to Russia’s robust inventory of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles.
Thiériot praised ELSA’s “coalition of sovereign volunteers” for avoiding bureaucratic pitfalls common in the European Union’s defense programs. He emphasized that political will and streamlined industrial collaboration could make ELSA a model for future projects.
While both cruise and ballistic technologies are under discussion, the artillery report recommends prioritizing ballistic systems due to their lower interception rates.