German arms giant Rheinmetall said that it would start making cruise missiles for the first time as it announced a partnership with Dutch defence firm Destinus, AFP reports.

Subject to regulatory approvals, Rheinmetall and Destinus will form a joint venture this year for the production of the missiles, the Duesseldorf-based firm said.

“We are combining Rheinmetall’s production capacities and experience in managing large-scale programs with Destinus’s specific technology and system design,” Rheinmetall’s chief executive Armin Papperger said.

“We must expand the industrial base for modern defence systems in Europe,” he added.

Cruise missiles and systems to intercept them have proven increasingly important in modern warfare, and have been used extensively in the Ukraine conflict and the US-Israeli war against Iran.