Germany finalizes purchase of US Tomahawk missiles

Germany has finalized an agreement with the United States to purchase Tomahawk cruise missiles, a move officials say will close a critical gap in the nation's long-range strike capabilities. Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed the deal on Thursday, July 9, 2026, during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, and in a subsequent statement to lawmakers in Berlin.

The acquisition will see the precision, long-range missiles stationed on German soil. They are expected to be deployed using the U.S. Army's mobile Typhon ground-launch systems. The Tomahawk, manufactured by American defense firm Raytheon, has a range of over 1,000 miles, enabling strikes against heavily defended targets from a significant distance.

The path to the agreement involved lengthy negotiations that began with preliminary discussions in July 2025. Those initial talks stalled over Pentagon concerns about potential escalation with Russia and questions about U.S. production capacity. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius revived the effort in May of this year. The deal fulfills a political commitment made by the previous U.S. administration in 2024 to strengthen European deterrence through enhanced weapons deployments.