WASHINGTON: The United States will start deploying long-range fire capabilities in Germany in 2026 in an effort to demonstrate its commitment to NATO and European defense, the US and Germany said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
The United States’ “episodic deployments” are in preparation for longer-term stationing of such capabilities that will include SM-6, Tomahawk cruise missiles and developmental hypersonic weapons that have a longer range than current capabilities in Europe, the two countries said.
Both the Tomahawk and the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) are made by RTX’s Raytheon division.
Ground-based missiles with a range exceeding 500 kilometers were banned until 2019 under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed by the Soviet Union’s Mikhail Gorbachev and former US President Ronald Reagan in 1987.
It marked the first time the two superpowers had agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals and eliminated a whole category of weapons.
Falling in line with the signatories, Germany, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic destroyed their missiles in the 1990s, to be followed later by Slovakia and Bulgaria.
The US withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019 saying that Moscow was violating the accord, citing Russia’s development of the 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile, known in NATO as the SSC-8.
The Kremlin repeatedly denied the accusation and then imposed a moratorium on its own development of missiles previously banned by the INF treaty — ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 km to 5,500 km.
At the end of June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow should resume production of intermediate and shorter range nuclear-capable missiles after the US brought similar missiles to Europe and Asia.
Putin said Russia had pledged not to deploy such missiles but that the US had resumed their production, brought them to Denmark for exercises and also taken them to the Philippines.
US to start deploying long-range weapons in Germany in 2026
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US to start deploying long-range weapons in Germany in 2026
- Ground-based missiles with a range exceeding 500 km were banned until 2019 under a US-Soviet treaty signed in 1987
- The US withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019 saying that Moscow was violating the accord, a charge Russia denied
Taiwan police rule out ‘terrorism’ in metro stabbing
- Taiwan police on Sunday ruled out “terrorism” in a metro stabbing in the capital Taipei, where an attacker killed three and wounded 11
TAIPEI: Taiwan police on Sunday ruled out “terrorism” in a metro stabbing in the capital Taipei, where an attacker killed three and wounded 11.
A 27-year-old man, identified by police by his family name Chang, set off smoke bombs at Taipei Main Station metro on Friday afternoon before launching into a three hour stabbing spree.
The attacker then moved to a shopping district near Zhongshan station, authorities said.
“Based on what we have established so far in the investigation, the suspect Chang did not make or display any statements or views related to politics, religion, or any specific ideology, and we have preliminarily ruled out terrorism,” a senior Taipei City Police Department official told AFP, under the condition of anonymity.
“Terrorist attacks have a specific definition and the suspect does not meet that definition,” he added.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said the suspect was found dead the same day, after jumping off a nearby building.
The senior police official said investigators also found searches for “random killings” on Chang’s iPad, including material related to a Taipei metro stabbing in 2014 when a man killed four people.
Chang had served in the military but was discharged over driving under the influence of alcohol, according to police, who said he was wanted after he failed to report for reserve military training.
Taiwan requires former soldiers to undergo seven to 14 days of reserve training within eight years of discharge. Failure to report is treated as evasion of military service.
In the immediate aftermath of the Friday stabbing, officials called the attack “deliberate” but said the motive was not clear.
Police said they believe Chang had acted alone and planned to “randomly kill people.” He rented an apartment in the district in January and scouted the area in advance.
The city doubled its police deployment for the Taipei Marathon on Sunday and is expected to conduct a “high-intensity” drill at metro stations ahead of New Year’s Eve, the mayor said.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said on Saturday that authorities should be “more cautious and proactive” and improve emergency protocols.
Lai said the police must be “trained and equipped for counter-terrorism operations” to protect citizens.
Metro Taipei announced that it had shut down a Christmas market near Zhongshan station on Saturday, which will remain closed for three days in honor of the victims.
