COLOGNE, Germany — Germany’s adoption of the Israeli-designed PULS rocket artillery weapon is set to emerge as a test case for European nations diversifying their arms suppliers away from American contractors that have dominated the market for decades.
Leaders in Berlin formalized the decision in favor of the Precise and Universal Launching System, or PULS, made by Elbit, last week, as the contractor announced a $57 million contract. German lawmakers had approved the funds late last year, with an initial five systems to be procured.
For Germany, a key PULS feature is that it can fire rockets of various calibers, ranging from 122mm to 370mm, produced by different manufacturers. On its website, Elbit claims the system “can fire a variety of ammunition types to various ranges from the same position, to ranges of up to 300 [kilometers].”
Germany’s preference for the weapon as a candidate for replacing its existing multiple-rocket launch system, or MLRS, arsenal, sold by Lockheed Martin and named MARS II here, has irked the U.S. defense giant, who fears losing out market share for rockets, in particular.
Experts said the market dynamics in artillery resemble those of desktop printers and ink cartridges in the world of office supplies: Once a government opts for launcher, its armed forces are locked into the vendors lineup of missiles.
In particular, the standard, single-warhead, guided munition for the Lockheed lineup, known as GMLRS Unitary, can typically be fired only from the company’s launchers, which are mounted on tracked or wheeled vehicles.
The wheeled variant, known as HIMARS, has famously proven successful in beating back invading Russian forces in Ukraine. Kyiv’s Western backers have donated launchers and GMLRS missiles in considerable numbers since the war began almost three years ago.
There is an exception in the way Germany and a small group of European countries have been able to use their Lockheed MRLS launchers, and specifically, what kinds of missiles the system’s fire control system will accept. In the context of the European Fire Control System, Berlin has long had U.S. government approval to fire non-U.S. munitions, namely a type of rocket for scattering AT2 antitank mines, which Germany has also donated to Ukraine.
Last year, as Germany had signaled an interest in PULS, Washington updated the scope of the agreement for using interface documents specific to the U.S. M-270 fire control system, Defense News has learned. The change, sources said, effectively meant Berlin would not have permission to launch Lockheed’s missiles out of PULS.
German defense officials declined to comment on the change or describe it in detail, referring only to a “political” holdup — versus a technical incompatibility — that would now rest with the Trump administration for resolution.
A Ministry of Defense spokesman told Defense News that Elbit had “confirmed the technical feasibility of firing the GMLRS Unitary rockets.”
Lockheed turned up the heat last summer in marketing its competing offer for Germany’s rocket artillery upgrade, which the company calls GMARS.
If Germany wanted to use its stock of GMLRS rockets, no product other than GMARS would do, executives said. In essence, the entire family of Lockheed missiles would be off the table for the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, they argued.
It’s unclear how many GMLRS missiles Germany has in its inventory. In 2020, the Bundeswehr ordered 1,818 new unitary missiles of this type for a total of €278 million ($289 million). Germany has since donated a number of the rockets to Ukraine, though the Ministry of Defence has not included figures in its running list of military aid.
Meanwhile, there appears to be little urgency in Berlin to resolve the PULS-Lockheed incompatibility.
For one, the Bundeswehr still has between 35 and 40 MARS launchers for firing whatever GMLRS inventory is left. In addition, there is an expectation that future orders for the missile would lead the U.S. government to soften its restrictive stance on mandatory launchers.
“Demand can create interoperability,” quipped one defense official.
There is also the calculus of leaning on German and European companies to build missiles in the variants and ranges that Lockheed is offering. Such a move would also eliminate unpredictability that comes with the U.S. Army, as Lockheed’s primary customer, dictating the missile production cadence for international customers, the thinking in Berlin goes.
Sebastian Sprenger is associate editor for Europe at Defense News, reporting on the state of the defense market in the region, and on U.S.-Europe cooperation and multi-national investments in defense and global security. Previously he served as managing editor for Defense News. He is based in Cologne, Germany.
Linus Höller is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He covers international security and military developments across the continent. Linus holds a degree in journalism, political science and international studies, and is currently pursuing a master’s in nonproliferation and terrorism studies.
Read the full article here
