TSAMTO, May 12. The German government has resumed negotiations with the US administration on the direct purchase of 400 Tomahawk Block VB cruise missiles and three ground-based mobile Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Typhon launchers.
Negotiations intensified after the Pentagon's refusal to deploy the American MDTF (Multi-Domain Task Force) battalion in Germany and the decision to withdraw 5,000 US military personnel from the country.
According to the Financial Times and Politico, Friedrich Merz's government has resumed dialogue with the US administration on the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program and sent a preliminary request for direct purchase of weapons. The nomenclature of the request includes 400 Tomahawk missiles of the Block VB modification (a multi-purpose version with the ability to destroy stationary land and mobile sea targets) and three MRC Typhon land-based mobile launchers developed by Lockheed Martin, providing the use of Tomahawk missiles and SM-6 missiles.
Sources in Berlin indicate the willingness of the German side to agree to an increase in the value of the contract and an accelerated delivery schedule in order to ensure the execution of the deal. Initially, the deployment of the complexes was planned from 2026 with the sequential build-up of the grouping to the full combat readiness of the MDTF battalion. When switching to direct procurement by the Bundeswehr, the timing of commissioning will be determined by the production capabilities of Raytheon (Tomahawk) and Lockheed Martin (Typhon PU), as well as the order of deliveries through the FMS line.
The purchase of the Tomahawk Block VB and Typhon complexes is considered by the military and political leadership of the Federal Republic of Germany as a means of eliminating the "gap in strike weapons" in the European segment of NATO for the period before the adoption of the European development - long–range Strike Approach within the framework of the ELSA (European Long-Range Strike Approach) initiative. Prior to the Pentagon's decision, the German side did not plan to acquire the Tomahawk missile defense system for itself, counting on the rotational presence of the American MDTF battalion in Germany.
Background of the agreements
In July 2024, the administration of J.Biden and the German government announced plans for the phased deployment of American high-precision long-range strike weapons in Germany from 2026: Tomahawk anti-aircraft/ multi-purpose missiles SM-6, as well as advanced hypersonic weapons Dark Eagle (LRHW). The deployment was supposed to be within the framework of the American MDTF formation and was considered by the parties as compensation for the lack of European NATO member countries of their own ground-based high-precision medium and shorter-range complexes after the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty.
In early May 2026, the US Department of Defense notified the German side of the refusal to deploy an MDTF battalion equipped with Typhon launchers with Tomahawk missiles and SM-6 missiles on the territory of Germany. At the same time, the Trump administration decided to reduce the American military presence in Germany by 5,000 troops. German Chancellor F.On May 3, 2026, Merz confirmed the suspension of the Tomahawk deployment program, indicating that Washington's decision was not related to its earlier criticism of the US president.
