German Frigate Sachsen-Anhalt Fires Israeli LORA in Navy's First Ballistic Missile Launch at Sea

The German Navy frigate Sachsen-Anhalt (F224) fired at least two LORA quasi-ballistic missiles in the North Atlantic on the night of September 1 to 2, 2026, the first launch of a ballistic missile from a German warship. The firing took place in the waters between Ireland and Iceland, with a second Baden-Württemberg-class frigate on station, The Times of Israel reported on September 2.

The missiles were launched from containerized canister launchers placed on the frigate's flight deck together with an embarked command unit, a fit that needs no vertical launch cells, according to The War Zone. The outlet noted that the configuration occupies the flight deck and prevents helicopter operations while it is installed. The War Zone counted "at least two" launches; manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) referred to "both missiles."

"With the successful launch of a ballistic missile last night in the North Atlantic, we have made naval history," the Chief of the German Navy said in a statement quoted by The War Zone. "The system can be successfully deployed by our units, and its potential range exceeds anything we have seen before."

IAI said in a statement carried by The Times of Israel: "The missile was launched to its trajectory, navigated its course to the target, and hit it with utmost precision. Both the weapon system and the missile successfully met all the trial's objectives." The company's chief executive described LORA as "one of the world's most advanced and combat-proven ballistic missile systems," European Security & Defence reported.

The trial was run under the Bundeswehr's OPEX operational experimentation program with the Bundeswehr Innovation Centre at Erding, as part of the German Navy's "Marine 2035 and Beyond" plan, according to The War Zone and Naval News. A warning to maritime and air traffic had been issued 45 days in advance, The War Zone reported. Bloomberg described the event as the German Navy's first test of a ballistic missile at sea.

LORA, in service since 2018, is a theater quasi-ballistic missile with a range of 430 km, a circular error probable of 10 m and a 570 kg warhead, guided by an inertial and GPS system with a TV terminal seeker; European Security & Defence gives an engagement envelope of 90 to 430 km. The 1,600 kg, 5.2 m missile exists in ground-launched, air-launched (Air LORA) and naval variants. Before Germany, four countries operated it: Israel, Azerbaijan, India and Greece.

Sachsen-Anhalt is the third of the four F125 Baden-Württemberg-class frigates, alongside Baden-Württemberg (F222), Nordrhein-Westfalen (F223) and Rheinland-Pfalz (F225). Laid down on June 4, 2014 and launched on March 4, 2016, she was delivered in March 2021 and commissioned on May 17, 2021. The 7,200-tonne, 149.5 m ships carry a 127 mm gun, two RAM Block II launchers with 21 missiles each, eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles and two 27 mm autocannons, but no vertical launch system; The War Zone notes the class has "historically been described as underarmed."

The German fleet in 2026 comprises 11 frigates — the four Baden-Württemberg, four Brandenburg and three Sachsen-class air-defense ships, a different class from the frigate Sachsen-Anhalt despite the name — plus six corvettes and six submarines. Germany ranks 13th in the ATLAS military power ranking, two places behind Israel at 11th.

The LORA firing follows two other German purchases of Israeli systems, the Arrow 3 exo-atmospheric interceptor and the PULS rocket artillery launcher, The War Zone noted. The Times of Israel reported that Germany announced it will now advance LORA procurement following the test, but The War Zone said no formal acquisition program has been confirmed and named the future F127 frigates and the planned Large Remote Missile Vessels as potential platforms. According to The War Zone, IAI fired LORA from a containerized launcher on a cargo ship's deck in 2017, and a 2020 test struck floating targets at roughly 60 and 250 miles, about 100 and 400 km.