Germany to buy US Tomahawks in shift towards own long-range capability [View all]

Source: US News & World Report/Reuters

July 9, 2026, at 3:44 a.m.


BERLIN, July 9 (Reuters) - Germany will purchase ⁠Tomahawk ⁠cruise missiles from the United ⁠States and station them on German soil, Chancellor ​Friedrich Merz said on Thursday, in a shift from planned U.S. deployments to ‌Germany's own long-range strike capability.

Merz ‌told lawmakers he had sealed the deal with the U.S. ⁠government on ⁠the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara, adding that ​the meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday had exceeded his expectations. "We are closing a critical strategic gap in our defence, while simultaneously working to develop our own ​European systems and station them in Europe," he said.

According to German ⁠government ⁠sources, Washington committed to granting ⁠approval in ​August for Germany to procure Tomahawk missiles and corresponding ground-based Typhon launchers ​in a letter of ⁠intent signed on Tuesday. The number of missiles and launchers Germany plans to acquire has not been disclosed as it is classified information.

The planned purchase appears to fit with U.S. President Donald Trump's push for ⁠European allies to pay for their own security, for example by buying ⁠U.S. weapons. The fate of the Tomahawk supply had been unclear after Trump announced in May that he would reduce U.S. military presence in Germany.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-07-09/germany-to-buy-us-tomahawks-in-shift-towards-own-long-range-capability