Dutch-based defense technology company Destinus will be able to deliver Ruta cruise missiles to Ukraine within a relatively short timeframe. Defense Express reports. This conclusion was drawn because, in a recent press release, it has announced the production of its 1,000th T150 engine and declared that it had achieved industrial-scale production of turbojet engines in Europe.
It matters because this engine was developed entirely in-house by the company and is manufactured on a production line in Europe. Chief Manufacturing Officer Sidney Berndt said the T150 production line is designed to sustain “the production of thousands of missile systems per year.”
Destinus said the program addresses Europe’s cruise missile production constraint through a turbojet engine developed from scratch and manufactured in-house, with vertical integration of design, tooling, supply chain, and quality control.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced during his Dutch visit in mid-June that the Netherlands is ready to finance the supply of approximately 700 Ruta cruise missiles to Ukraine, though the specific modification was not specified. During Fedorov’s visit to Destinus’s Hengelo facility, he was shown the Ruta B1 variant.
Berndt says production line targets thousands of missiles per year
“Producing one engine is engineering. Producing a thousand is industrial capability,” Berndt said in the Destinus announcement.
It is a European production system capable of producing thousands of missile systems per year, he added.
Destinus did not disclose the proportion of European components in the T150 or the current production rate. The T150 production line is designed for continuous ramp-up, supporting both current Ruta output and planned capacity expansion through the Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems joint venture.
Ruta family spans 300 to 2,000 kilometers across three variants
The Ruta family comprises three variants. Ruta B1 has a range of more than 300 kilometers, carries a payload of more than 150 kilograms, and is described by Defense Express as effectively a jet-powered drone rather than a full cruise missile.
Ruta B2 has an increased range of more than 700 kilometers, a 250-kilogram payload, foldable wings, low-observability features, and the ability to launch from an aircraft.
Ruta B3, currently in development, is planned to have a 2,000-kilometer range, 250-kilogram payload, and a thermal-imaging seeker, with flight tests scheduled for 2027.
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