Germany receives US approval to buy ~400 ground-based Tomahawk cruise missiles

Germany has secured approval from the United States to acquire approximately 400 ground-based Tomahawk cruise missiles (GLCMs) as a strategic deterrent against Russian aggression in Europe. The agreement was reached between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7–8, 2026.

Announcement to the Bundestag

Announcing the agreement before the Bundestag on July 9, Merz stated that Berlin had agreed with the US government that the Tomahawk systems would be procured by Germany and stationed domestically. He added:

"With this, we are closing an important strategic gap in our defense. At the same time, we will work on developing our own European systems and their deployment in Europe."

A Turning Point in German-American Relations

The Tomahawk agreement marks a significant shift in German-American relations. Berlin had previously attempted to procure Tomahawk cruise missiles, but a political dispute between Merz and President Trump over Merz's refusal to involve Germany in the US-Israeli war against Iran appeared to block the deal.

• On April 27, Merz told students in Marsberg that the USA was being "humiliated" by the Iranian leadership for failing to negotiate an end to the conflict.
• In response, Trump officially announced on May 1 that the Pentagon would cancel the planned deployment of the US Army's 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment in Germany.

Background: Previous US-German Deployment Plans

At the 2024 NATO summit, before Trump took office for his second term in January 2025, the USA and Germany agreed to station US ground-based intermediate-range missiles in Germany from 2026, capable of reaching targets in Russia. Planned systems included:

• Tomahawk GLCM and Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), both launched from the Typhon Strategic Mid-range Fires System (SMRF)
• Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also known as Dark Eagle

These systems were to be stationed in Germany as part of the US Army's 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force, with the primary mission of countering Russia's anti-access/area denial capabilities in the event of a conflict. However, the deployments were canceled by an angry Trump after Merz, along with all other European NATO states, refused to be drawn into the war with Iran.

Current Procurement Details

Now, German Tomahawk GLCMs are intended to serve as a strategic counterbalance to Russia from German soil. However, it could take years for Berlin to receive its missiles, as Tomahawk manufacturer RTX is currently struggling to replenish US Tomahawk stocks after the Iran conflict, let alone process export orders.

Tomahawk Block Vb

The weapons to be procured by Germany are the latest Block Vb Tomahawks, launched from Typhon missile launchers. Key specifications include:

• Multi-purpose warhead capable of engaging a broader range of land targets
• Range of over 1,660 km

In addition to ordering approximately 400 missiles, Germany will also need to acquire a certain number of Typhon missile launchers. The total cost of the package amounts to over 1 billion US dollars (0.9 billion euros).

European Long-Range Strike Development

Meanwhile, NATO states including Germany, France, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Sweden are continuing to work on developing a European conventional ground-based missile system with a range of over 2,000 km as part of the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA) project.

Germany's Current Longest-Range Weapon

Germany's current longest-range offensive weapon is the air-launched Taurus KEPD-350 cruise missile. Co-developed by Germany and Sweden, the Taurus KEPD-350 entered service in 2006. It can be launched from the Luftwaffe's Panavia Tornado IDS and Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets and has a range of over 500 km.