The United States has approved the sale of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Thursday, saying the acquisition will strengthen the country’s defence capabilities.
Speaking to Germany’s parliament, Merz said the agreement was reached on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
“We agreed with the American government that American Tomahawk missiles will be purchased by us and stationed in Germany,” he said.
According to Merz, the deployment will help close a significant gap in Germany’s defence posture while the country continues developing its own European long-range strike systems.
A German government source said the two countries’ defence ministers signed a letter of intent on Tuesday after negotiations involving Merz, US President Donald Trump and senior security officials. Under the agreement, Washington is expected to grant formal approval for the sale of Tomahawk missiles and ground-based Typhon launchers by August, although the number of missiles to be supplied will remain classified.
The Tomahawk is a long-range cruise missile with a range of more than 1,600 kilometres and has traditionally been launched from warships and submarines.
Berlin views the acquisition as a key component of its deterrence strategy against Russia, particularly as Moscow continues to deploy Iskander missile systems in its Kaliningrad exclave, which can reach targets across parts of Europe.
European NATO members currently lack a domestically produced missile system with capabilities comparable to the Tomahawk, leaving them dependent on the United States for such long-range strike weapons.
The announcement also comes after the United Kingdom revealed that 12 European NATO allies, including Germany, plan to invest about $50 billion (€43 billion) over the next decade to jointly develop long-range precision strike weapons. A German government source said Berlin intends to contribute roughly half of that funding.
Merz’s announcement marks a shift from comments he made in May, when he suggested the planned deployment of Tomahawk missiles announced under former US President Joe Biden could be delayed because of depleted US stockpiles resulting from conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine.
