ELSA will facilitate and increase the ability of European Nations to fulfill capability development goals in line with the NATO Defence Planning Process and national operational requirements.

Work undertaken over the last months is shaping a series of capability area clusters, encompassing all aspects of long-range precision strike capabilities that are key contributors to deterrence and defence posture. 

Among the various projects undertaken within the framework of the ELSA initiative, some of them have reached a high level of maturity and convergence allowing new European partners to join. These mature work areas include:  

• Airborne Early Warning capability  
• Air-launched long-range capability 
• Euro Multi Missile Launcher
• Low cost 500km+ capabilities based on one-way-attack effectors.

The Defence Ministers of [France,] [Germany,] [Italy,] [Poland,] [Sweden] & the [United Kingdom] signed a letter of intent today. This LoI aims to formalize the commitment of the six nations to develop mechanisms for long-range one-way effectors in order to harmonize and accelerate the development, procurement, of these capabilities across Europe. It is part of the effort to strengthen Europe’s defense and demonstrates the success of this initiative.

The six nations reaffirm their intention to undertake significant efforts to enhance deep-strike capabilities, as well as their determination to accelerate their acquisition and development in order to rapidly strengthen Europe’s capabilities to deter and defend.