Merz: US agrees to sell Tomahawk missiles to Germany to close defense gap

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that the United States has agreed to sell his country long-range cruise missiles of the Tomahawk type, despite previous controversy over plans to deploy them.

Merz told parliament, 'On the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Ankara, we agreed with the US government to buy American Tomahawk missiles and deploy them in Germany.'

He added that this step 'will close an important strategic gap in our defenses,' continuing, 'At the same time, we will work on developing our European systems and deploying them in Europe.'

Merz did not specify a delivery date for the missiles.

Tomahawk missiles are primarily launched from submarines and warships, with a range of over 1,600 kilometers.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, 'The United States has essential capabilities that we in Europe cannot do without.'

He added that Germany is committed to strengthening the European defense industry, but buying Tomahawk missiles from Washington is currently 'the only way' to meet Germany's NATO commitments.

He noted that this 'applies particularly to the offensive capabilities needed for deterrence, as well as for responding to any attack targeting NATO territory, which we seek to prevent.'

Berlin considers the deployment of long-range cruise missiles, such as Tomahawks, an essential part of its deterrence strategy against Russia.

Moscow has deployed Iskander cruise missiles in the Kaliningrad exclave, capable of striking targets in European NATO countries.

A German government source said that the defense ministers of the two countries signed a letter of intent on the deal on Tuesday, following earlier negotiations between Merz and US President Donald Trump and security officials from both countries.

In the letter of intent, the United States pledged to grant formal approval for the sale of Tomahawk missiles and Typhon ground-launch systems by August.

So far, there are no European-made alternatives with ranges and capabilities similar to the Tomahawk, making Berlin and other European NATO members dependent on Washington to acquire these weapons.

The United Kingdom announced on Wednesday that 12 European NATO members, including Germany, will jointly spend nearly $50 billion over the next decade to develop new long-range, high-precision weapons.

A German government source said Berlin intends to contribute about half of that cost.

In May, Merz indicated the cancellation of a plan to deploy Tomahawk missiles in Germany, announced by former US President Joe Biden. The German chancellor justified this by the depletion of weapons stockpiles due to the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

This also came after a disagreement between Merz and Trump over the war in Iran.