Germany has reached an agreement to acquire American Tomahawk cruise missiles, marking a significant step in its efforts to enhance long-range deterrence capabilities amid heightened tensions with Russia. The announcement was made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz during the NATO summit held in Ankara, where he highlighted the strategic importance of the deal for Germany’s defense posture.
The acquisition follows months of diplomatic negotiation and comes after the United States decided to cancel plans to deploy a battalion equipped with long-range missiles on German soil, a move initially agreed upon under President Joe Biden’s administration. The proposed deployment was intended as a countermeasure to Russia’s stationing of nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad exclave, which placed Germany within missile range.
Earlier this year, the US announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany and halt the planned deployment after Merz publicly criticized the US approach to Iran, a development that strained US-German relations. Despite this, Chancellor Merz described the new agreement as a “significant strategic gap” closure while affirming Germany’s continued commitment to developing European defense capabilities.
Currently, European nations do not operate ground-launched long-range missile systems. The United Kingdom maintains submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles with a range of approximately 1,600 kilometers, and France operates a domestically produced cruise missile with a range of about 1,000 kilometers on its submarines. The German government sought to procure Tomahawk missiles paired with Typhoon ground launchers as part of its request to the United States, originally submitted about a year ago but left unanswered.
Efforts to advance the deal included an attempted visit to Washington by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, which was canceled after he was unable to secure a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Nonetheless, the announcement at the NATO summit signals a thaw in the previously tense relationship between Berlin and Washington.
In addition to the missile agreement, Chancellor Merz noted that the summit also featured a commitment from the US to grant Ukraine a license to produce missiles compatible with Patriot air-defense systems. Merz praised NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, emphasizing the alliance’s unity and strength in facing current security challenges.