Relations between Germany and the United States are particularly strained following Friedrich Merz’s criticisms of the American strategy in the Middle East and Donald Trump’s announcement of the withdrawal of 5,000 troops stationed in the country. Will the United States sell its long-range Tomahawk missiles to Germany? Berlin is pushing for Washington to authorize such an acquisition, along with Typhoon launchers, according to the Financial Times. An initial purchase offer was submitted in July 2025, but Washington has not responded yet, as reported by the American newspaper.
To discuss this issue, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius plans to visit the United States, on the condition of being able to meet his American counterpart Pete Hegseth. However, this meeting is not guaranteed, as relations between Berlin and Paris have deteriorated in recent days.
After announcing the departure of 5,000 American soldiers from Germany, Donald Trump warned on May 2 that he was going to further reduce the number of troops present in the country, in response to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s criticisms of the American strategy in the Middle East.
Under Joe Biden’s presidency, during the annual NATO summit in 2024, the White House announced the deployment in Germany of SM-6 surface-to-air missiles and Tomahawk missiles starting in 2026. The goal was to deter Russia from threatening the Atlantic Alliance. However, this project no longer seems to be relevant, according to German authorities.
“We must consider this as a new call to develop our own capabilities more quickly and make them available. There are no other ways,” indicated German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in early May.
The German army does not have long-range surface-fired missiles in its arsenal like the Tomahawk, nor does any other European country. The UK has Tomahawk missiles launched from submarines, with a range of 1,600 km. France, on the other hand, has a cruise missile called Missile de Croisière Naval (MdCN), developed by MBDA. Comparable to the Tomahawk missile used by the UK and the US, this missile can be fired from frigates or attack submarines of the French Navy, with an estimated range of about 1,000 kilometers.
Tomahawk missiles have been heavily used by the American military in recent weeks to strike Iran. According to a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published on April 21, over 850 Tomahawks have been used to target the Mullahs regime, accounting for about a third of the American stock. This prompted the Pentagon to enter into a contract with Raytheon, the manufacturer of this long-range missile, to increase its production and replenish its stocks.
