A Tomahawk missile is launched from guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee in this undated photo. Germany reached an agreement with the U.S. during NATO’s summit this week in Akara, Turkey, to acquire the American-made missile. (Sean Ianno/U.S. Navy)
Germany has reached an agreement to acquire American-made Tomahawk missiles, a move that is expected to enhance NATO’s deterrence capabilities in Europe.
The deal was reached during NATO’s summit this week in Ankara, where German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Donald Trump discussed the matter, the German leader said.
“We are closing an important strategic gap in our defense,” Merz said Thursday before Germany’s parliament in Berlin.
Merz did not provide details about the arrangement, including the cost, timeline or number of warheads to be supplied.
The potential sale comes as U.S. missile stockpiles have come under pressure.
The U.S. military has fired more Tomahawk missiles during the current war with Iran than in any other military campaign in history, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a March report. Replenishing that inventory will take time and creates near-term risk for the United States, CSIS said.
Germany has been pushing to acquire the Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of up to 1,500 miles, since Trump canceled a plan to base a long-range fires unit in Germany later this year.
In 2024, then-President Joe Biden announced a plan to position such a unit in Germany, with the aim of bolstering NATO’s ability to conduct strikes at much greater range. Adding Tomahawks to the U.S. force posture in Europe became a priority after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In May, the Pentagon announced that it would cut 5,000 troops from Germany. The military has not yet detailed exactly how those reductions will be implemented, but one unit confirmed to be involved is the Fort Drum, N.Y.-based 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment.
The regiment was activated in October and was slated to relocate to Germany in 2026. Tomahawks and hypersonic weapons still under development were among the types of systems the unit was expected to bring to Europe.
Part of the Pentagon’s decision to cancel the unit’s deployment to Germany is that those types of military assets could be useful in the Pacific region, which the Pentagon has prioritized.
Because of concerns about China and the potential for simultaneous conflicts in Europe and Asia, the Pentagon has called on NATO allies to provide the bulk of conventional weaponry needed to defend the Continent.
