Germany will purchase Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States and station them on German soil. Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the deal on Thursday, informing the Bundestag parliament that the acquisition closes an important strategic gap in the nation's defense.
The decision to obtain the long-range, subsonic missiles serves as a powerful deterrent against Russia. This move marks a shift from planned U.S. deployments to Germany's own long-range strike capability, occurring while Europe is also developing such missiles itself.
The United States has committed to granting formal approval for the sale of the missiles and ground-based Typhoon launchers by August. Although the agreement is in place, the number of missiles to be acquired remains classified and delivery timelines are unclear.