Wire flash
PoliticsGerman Chancellor Merz: US approves Tomahawk missile sale to Germany
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced in the Bundestag that the Trump administration has approved the sale of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany. The announcement came one day after a key NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where world leaders announced new defence deals. Merz stated that the purchase was agreed on the sidelines of the NATO meeting and that the missiles would be stationed in Germany, closing a key strategic capability gap. He emphasized that Germany would continue working with European partners to develop indigenous long-range systems. The move revives a plan initially pledged by the Biden administration two years ago to deploy a Long-Range Fires Battalion and an Air Defence Battalion to Germany, which the Trump administration had halted in early May. It remains unclear which launcher platform Berlin will procure, though the Typhon system, capable of launching both Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 interceptors, is the preferred option within the Defence Ministry.
Source report
Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced in the Bundestag on Thursday that the Trump administration has approved the sale of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany.
The announcement came one day after a key NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where world leaders unveiled a series of new defence agreements.
"On the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Ankara, we agreed with the US administration that we will purchase American Tomahawk missiles and station them in Germany," Merz said.
Strategic Capability Gap
Merz stated that the move would close a key strategic capability gap. He stressed that Germany would continue working with its European partners to develop and deploy indigenous long-range systems in Europe.
Background
Two years ago, the administration of former US President Joe Biden pledged to deploy a Long-Range Fires Battalion and an Air Defence Battalion assigned to the 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force to Germany. The long-range unit was expected to be equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, while the air defence battalion would operate SM-6 interceptors. However, the Trump administration halted those plans in early May.
Launcher Platform
It remains unclear which launcher platform Berlin intends to procure. Within the Defence Ministry, the Typhon system is understood to be the preferred option, as it is capable of launching both Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 interceptors.
Source
EuractivWestern
Part of this Story
Germany to Purchase 400 US Tomahawk Missiles for Long-Range Strike Capability