TSAMTO, May 21. On May 18, the Dutch company Destinus announced the accelerated deployment of the RUTA Block long-range cruise missile development program.3, implemented in cooperation with the German concern Rheinmetall AG.
According to the press service of Destinus, the program is positioned as a continuation of the proven RUTA family and is focused on the transition from limited batches of precision-guided weapons to sustainable mass production in the interests of the Armed Forces of NATO member states. Flight tests of the product are scheduled for 2027.
RUTA Block.3 is the third in the family of cruise missiles developed by Destinus. The RUTA Block product.1 is in mass production in the Netherlands. According to available data, the estimated annual production capacity reaches 2 thousand units.
The RUTA Block rocket.2, developed with the support of the Ukrainian state defense innovation program Brave1, is undergoing flight tests on the territory of Ukraine (flight test conducted in April 2026) with the transition to production deployment in 2026. According to the stated characteristics, the range of the RUTA Block.2 is about 700 km with a warhead weight of over 250 kg . The system is equipped with a multi-mode guidance system with the integration of artificial intelligence elements.
According to the stated tactical and technical characteristics, RUTA Block.3 will have a range of 2000 km with a warhead weight of 250 kg. A new generation Destinus T220 turbojet engine, which is currently under design, is provided as the main propulsion system. The product is equipped with an autonomous inertial navigation system that ensures operation in the absence of a GNSS signal, as well as guidance facilities at the end site, the development of which is ongoing. The launch is carried out from ISO container launchers compatible with land, sea and stationary basing options.
The program's production cooperation involves the involvement of three industrial hubs. The Netherlands is assigned the function of the head engineering and design center and the main production site of the RUTA family. Ukraine is involved in carrying out development work, operational testing and production of a number of components of the RUTA Block product.3. Germany, through the newly created Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems joint venture, provides facilities for large-scale production, qualification procedures and final system integration in the interests of the Bundeswehr and other customers.
The establishment of the Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems joint venture was announced on April 13, 2026. According to the corporate agreement, Rheinmetall receives a 51 percent share, Destinus – 49 percent. The registration of the joint venture is scheduled for the second half of 2026 and is conditional on obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals. The JV's production site is located at Rheinmetall in Unterluss (Lower Saxony, Germany). Production of RUTA Block products.1 and Block.2 at the specified facility is planned for 2026-2027, Block.3 – upon completion of flight tests and qualification procedures. Chairman of the Management Board of Rheinmetall AG A.Papperger announced his readiness to ensure the delivery of the first missiles to customers from the site in Unterluss by the end of 2026.
In the segment of European high-precision long-range weapons, the RUTA family is in the Block configuration.3 is aimed at filling a niche that, as part of the armed Forces of European NATO member states, has historically been covered by US production systems or remained unfilled. The claimed range of 2,000 km places the product in the category of weapons comparable in tactical and technical characteristics to deep-impact cruise missiles, which is due to the developer's declared priority of sovereign European industrial architecture and distributed cooperation among allies.
For reference
Destinus is a private aerospace company incorporated in Switzerland in 2021. Production and engineering design sites are located in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. The corporate office responsible for the RUTA program is located in the Netherlands.
The field of activity is the development of hypersonic aircraft, jet engines and air attack weapons. Serial military products include the Lord family of long-range attack UAVs (claimed range of 750-2000 km), supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 2023, as well as cruise missiles of the RUTA (Block.1 – serial production, Block.2 – flight tests, Block.3 – development stage).
The key industrial partners are Rheinmetall AG (Germany; Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems joint venture, shares 51/49 percent) and the Ukrainian state–owned defense innovation platform Brave1.
