Six European nations unite to develop 500-km deep strike drone

Six European countries—Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Poland, and Sweden—have launched a collaborative project called the European Long-range Strike Approach (ELSA) to develop a low-cost loitering munition drone with a range exceeding 500 kilometers (311 miles). This "kamikaze" drone, named One Way Effector 500 Plus, is designed for deep precision strikes against strategic targets such as enemy air defenses and logistics hubs. The drone will carry a warhead of approximately 50 kg (110 lbs), with ongoing evaluations of cost-saving measures including the potential use of 155mm artillery shells as warheads. Production is expected to be distributed among the participating nations to enhance scalability, and the system aims to allow a single operator to deploy dozens of these munitions autonomously. The initiative responds to the increasing demand for one-way attack drones, a trend highlighted by the effective use of Iranian Shahed drones in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. France has already contracted MBDA