Germany and US sign pact to expand joint production of Patriot interceptors and Tomahawk missiles

COLOGNE, Germany — The defense leaders of Germany and the United States have signed an agreement that positions Germany as an additional production hub for scarce munitions used in American weapons, providing a backup manufacturing base if U.S. firms are overwhelmed by demand.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the pact on Tuesday during Pistorius's visit to the Pentagon. The agreement comes as German officials seek to secure practical touchpoints in the trans-Atlantic defense relationship, which has been strained by U.S. President Trump's inconsistent stance on NATO and Europe.

Hegseth described the agreement as aligning defense-acquisition reform initiatives in both nations.

"When we align the two, you expand opportunities for joint development, production, licensed manufacturing and expanded maintenance and sustainment capacities — exactly what allied countries should be doing," he said.

Current and Planned Production

Germany's arm of pan-European missile maker MBDA is already producing Patriot air-defense interceptors of the older PAC-2 generation. According to Pistorius, production of the latest PAC-3 MSE interceptor is set to begin at the company's plant in Schrobenhausen later this year.

Additionally, officials from both countries will explore which components of the Tomahawk cruise missile Germany could supply.

Germany's Long-Range Strike Ambitions

Berlin wants to purchase Tomahawk missiles and Typhon launchers as part of Germany's emerging "deep precision strike" capability. While there is political agreement on selling the weapons, manufacturing them will take longer than German defense leaders desire.

Scarcity of Key Weapon Systems

Patriot interceptors and Tomahawk cruise missiles have become prime examples of scarce weaponry in recent years:

• Patriot interceptors: European nations have sent much of their Patriot inventories to Ukraine to help defend against Russian missiles and attack drones, and are now scrambling to rebuild their own arsenals.
• Tomahawk cruise missiles: U.S. forces have reportedly drawn down the Pentagon's Tomahawk stock considerably during the war against Iran, making the precision missiles—with a range of 1,000 miles—difficult for European countries like Germany to obtain.

Alternative Options

Berlin is keeping its options open for more readily available medium- and long-range weapons while developing an upgraded version of its own German-Swedish Taurus missile. Germany is also part of a European group of nations seeking a homegrown alternative known as ELSA.

Pistorius said in Washington that officials are also eyeing the Anthem cruise missile by U.S.-based firm Covenant, as well as a cooperation with Ukraine.

Potential Friction with France

Germany's new defense-industry overture with the U.S. may ruffle feathers among European autonomy purists, particularly in France.

Paris has already seen Berlin walk away from joint weapons development programs in recent years in favor of quicker U.S. purchases, including:

• P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft (Boeing)
• F-35 fighter jets (Lockheed Martin)

These acquisitions were perceived by some French officials as undermining bilateral efforts to develop next-generation aircraft for both mission types.

France has repeatedly criticized the use of European money to produce U.S. weapons under license. Then-Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu, now prime minister, said in February 2025 that doing so would be a "historic mistake." The French government has argued that EU funds should build up European defense-industrial capacity rather than subsidizing systems whose design authority remains outside of Europe, citing German production of Patriot interceptors as an example.