18.05.2026
2 min
148
The Ukrainian-European Destinus project is accelerating the development of the RUTA Block 3 long-range missile in collaboration with German defense giant Rheinmetall. It will have a range of up to 2,000 km, a 250 kg warhead, and the new Destinus T220 turbojet engine.
European companies have been working together to develop a next-generation air-to-ground cruise missile called RUTA Block 3. This rocket was developed using an existing RUTA Block 1 (also known as RUTA) long-range missile, which has successfully completed combat tests. It has a projected range of approximately 2,000 km. RUTA Block 3 has been in development since it was first proposed last month.
As of right now, RUTA Block 1 is manufactured on a large scale in the Netherlands; however, Ukraine is developing RUTA Block 2 with the support of its Brave1 platform. According to the developers, Ukraine plans to begin producing it on a large scale in 2026.
It’s believed that RUTA Block 3 will represent the next level of RUTA technology. According to the developers, RUTA Block 3 will have the same design and manufacturing base as the previous blocks of the system. However, they claim it will feature a different launch configuration that can be mounted on mobile vehicles or stationary locations, and even used on ships.
The new development is taking place among three countries. As stated earlier, the Netherlands will serve as the primary location for designing and building all RUTA family rockets. Ukraine will provide technical expertise in developing and testing some of the most critical components of the new rocket. A German-based company named Rheinmetall will partner with Destinus to build a joint venture (Strike Systems Rheinmetall Destinus). The purpose of the joint venture is to increase the production capacity, integrate the system into military equipment, and deliver the systems to both the German military (Bundeswehr), and other European militaries.
According to Destinus officials, production of RUTA Block 1 and Block 2 is expected to take place in 2026-2027 at Rheinmetall’s facility located in Unterluß. Production of Block 3 is expected to commence when the system begins testing and certification.
Mykhailo Kokorich, CEO of Destinus claimed that “Europe is starting a new defense era. And here, one of the most important factors isn’t just how many high-precision weapons we can manufacture — although this is very important too — but above all else, our ability to rapidly manufacture these types of weapon on a large scale.”
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall also agreed that his company wanted to deliver the new system to European customers as quickly as possible. He stated that “the capability of deep precision strikes is of significant importance from a security-policy perspective. We intend to form the Strike Systems Rheinmetall Destinus joint venture by the end of this year.”
Block 3 of the Ruta will be equipped with a Destinus T220 turbojet engine and a 250kg-class warhead. The system is designed to work under adverse weather conditions, such as those that prevent GPS or other GNSS signals from operating normally. To accomplish this, the rocket will utilize a new generation autonomous navigation/terminal guidance system, which is still currently under development.
In addition to meeting regulatory requirements regarding exports and government approvals, Destinus noted that their entire program complies with all applicable European and national laws. Among the most notable features of RUTA Block 3 are:
* Range of up to 2000km
* Warhead weight = 250 kg
* Engine: Destinus T220
* Autonomous Navigation – capable of functioning without GNSS signal.
* Container Launch – meets ISO standards.
This program was established based on experience obtained from operating similar systems in Ukraine.
