European Security — 2026-07-10

Germany Confirms Deal to Purchase Tomahawk Cruise Missiles from United States

BLUFBerlin's Tomahawk purchase, likely to receive formal US approval by late August, restores a ground-launched deep-strike capability absent since the Cold War and sets a procurement precedent for allied states facing Russia's intermediate-range buildup.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz told parliament on Thursday that Germany reached a deal with the United States to buy long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles and station them domestically, with the agreement finalized during the NATO summit in Ankara this week 12. A letter of intent was signed Tuesday committing the US to approve Germany's procurement of an undisclosed number of Tomahawks and Typhon ground-based launchers in August, with deployment of US personnel to operate the systems excluded from the agreement 2. The deal makes Germany the first foreign customer for the Typhon battery, the only system that can fire the Raytheon BGM-109 Tomahawk from the ground; Bloomberg reported the missile quantities and delivery timeline remain undisclosed, and it was unclear whether the letter of intent also covers Typhon's companion SM-6 missile 3. Merz said the purchase closes a strategic gap while Germany works in parallel to develop and station European-made long-range systems 12.

Analysis
The purchase closes a ground-launched deep-strike gap Germany has lacked since the Cold War and sets a precedent other NATO members weighing similar purchases will watch closely, particularly given Russia's own intermediate-range missile buildup. Washington will likely finalize formal approval of Germany's procurement by the end of August, consistent with the letter of intent signed this week. High confidence reflects a bilateral commitment already reduced to writing rather than an open-ended political process. Excluding US personnel from operating the systems signals Berlin's intent to build sovereign strike capacity rather than lean on rotational American crews, though undisclosed missile quantities leave the deal's near-term deterrent weight uncertain.

5 sources

Germany reaches deal with US to buy long-range Tomahawk missiles, Merz says - Associated Press (via ABC News)
Germany agrees on deal to buy long-range U.S. Tomahawk missiles, Merz says - PBS NewsHour
Germany Will Buy US-Made Tomahawk Missiles to Close Crucial Gap - Bloomberg
Deal with the US: Germany to purchase Tomahawk cruise missiles - deutschland.de
Germany agrees deal to buy long-range US Tomahawk missiles, Merz says - The Washington Post