Germany has sealed a deal to buy an unspecified amount of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed Thursday.
Merz made the announcement speaking at the Bundestag parliament after returning from this week’s NATO Summit, hosted by Turkey in the city of Ankara. Merz detailed that Germany struck the deal with the U.S. government on the sidelines of the event — noting that the agreement “exceeded his expectations.”
The German chancellor also disclosed to the German parliament that the Tomahawk missile deal is the result of previous negotiations between him, President Donald Trump, and senior security officials from both nations.
“On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara we also agreed with the American government that Tomahawk missiles would be purchased by us and stationed in Germany,” Merz reportedly said at the Bundestag.
“With this we are closing an important strategic gap in our defense. And at the same time we will work on developing our own European systems and deploying them in Europe,” he continued.
Die Welt, citing German government sources, reports that a letter of intent signed by the German Defense Ministry and the U.S. Department of War sees the United States granting official approval of the sale by August. The deal also includes the procurement of the Tomahawk missiles’ corresponding ground-based Typhon launchers.
The exact number of missiles and launchers that Germany intends to purchase is kept classified. The deployment of U.S. personnel to operate the missile systems is reportedly not part of the letter of intent signed by both nations. Long range cruise missiles, such as the U.S.-made Tomahawk, are reportedly a key part of Germany’s deterrence strategy against Russia.
Speaking with Deutschlandfunk Radio on Thursday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius welcome the Tomahawk missile deal, describing it as a sign of trust from the United States to Germany and as a strong sign of the transatlantic friendship with the U.S. government.
“The United States of America possesses key capabilities that we in Europe cannot do without,” Pistorius reportedly said, and added that while Germany is commitment to building up Europe’s defense industry, purchasing Tomahawk missiles from the U.S. is “the only way” to deliver on the nation’s commitments to NATO.
Euronews pointed out that, presently, no European-made alternatives that can match the range and strike capabilities of America’s Tomahawk missiles. The missiles have a range of about 1,000 miles, and feature guidance systems that allow it to strike targets deep inland or in hostile territory. Tomahawk missiles are capable of flying at around 100 feet off the ground, making them harder to detect by defense systems.
Earlier this week, the United Kingdom announced that it is leading a $50 billion joint investment of twelve European NATO members towards the development of deep precision strike weapons over the next decade.
A German government source claimed to Euronews that Berlin intends to cover “roughly half” of the $50 billion project.
The Tomahawk cruise missile, a long-range weapon in the U.S. military’s arsenal since the 1980s, is known for its ability to fly at low altitudes, making it difficult to detect, and boasts a range of approximately 1,000 miles with precision guidance.