Germany agrees to buy U.S. Tomahawk missiles

Germany has agreed to purchase U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, according to an announcement by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The deal was reached with U.S. officials on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara this week. The agreement marks a shift after earlier U.S. plans to station a long-range fires battalion in Germany were not carried forward.

Officials said the missiles will address a gap in Germany's long-range strike options.

Background on the procurement Germany had previously sought to acquire the ground-launched version of the Tomahawk system. Reports indicated interest in up to 400 of the latest Block Vb missiles, valued at more than $1 billion. A letter of intent for the procurement was signed Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing government sources.

Germany will also need to acquire Typhon launchers to deploy the missiles.

European security changes The move comes after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and amid Russia's development of new intermediate-range weapons. Germany currently fields the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System with a maximum range of about 43 miles.

" — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, July 2026 Germany is also participating in the European Long-Range Strike Approach initiative with France, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. A separate project with the United Kingdom aims to develop a weapon with a range exceeding 2,000 kilometers.

The Tomahawk purchase is described as a temporary measure until European-developed systems become available in the 2030s.