The U.S. State Department announced Friday that it had approved a potential sale of advanced naval combat systems to Germany. (U.S. State Department)
STUTTGART, Germany — The United States has cleared a potential $11.9 billion sale of advanced naval combat systems to Germany, a move that would give Berlin a sea power upgrade in its latest military buildup.
The U.S. State Department on Friday approved the proposal centered on the Aegis-based Integrated Combat System, which serves as the backbone for ballistic missile defense operations.
The sale, which still needs congressional approval, also involves related radars, vertical launch systems and command-and-control networks as well as related gear. The plan is to outfit eight warships with such systems.
“The proposed sale will enhance German maritime forces’ capability to meet current and future threats by improving national and territorial defense as well as interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces,” the State Department said.
For Germany, it marks another step in a broader push to rebuild military capabilities after years of underinvestment in its armed forces.
Over the past few years, Germany has been on a military spending spree, with Berlin expected to spend around $127 billion on defense this year, by far the most in Europe.
The country now spends 2.39% of its gross domestic product on defense, nearly double the percentage of just a few years ago.
The numbers also are expected to increase in the coming years. Like all other NATO members except Spain, Germany has pledged to increase spending levels to 5% of GDP over the next decade.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he wants Germany to have the strongest ground force in Europe. The push to increase defense spending was prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s mixed messages about NATO commitments and the Pentagon’s insistence that allies soon take responsibility for the territorial defense of Europe have added to the urgency.
Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s policy chief, told allies and partners Wednesday during a meeting about Ukraine that the crisis in Iran underscores the changing strategic landscape.
“We must be clear-eyed about the gravity of the current moment,” he said. “Europe must accelerate its assumption of primary responsibility for the conventional defense of the continent. This is not a matter of choice but of strategic necessity.”
