TSAMTO, July 1. The German government is negotiating with the German division of the European concern MBDA (MBDA Deutschland) in order to organize cooperation with the American Raytheon Technologies to develop a ground-based version of the BGM-109 Tomahawk.
This was reported by the Financial Times newspaper, citing a source familiar with the plans of the German Cabinet of Ministers.
Negotiations are underway against the background of the Pentagon's refusal to deploy a rapid reaction force battalion in Germany equipped with MRC Typhon (Lockheed Martin) ground-based launchers with Tomahawk Block Vb and SM-6 anti-aircraft guided missiles. The decision to deploy American medium-range strike weapons in Germany was made at the NATO summit in Washington in July 2024 by the Biden and Scholz administrations; deployment was scheduled to begin in 2026.
According to Reuters and the Associated Press, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum on May 14, 2026, officially canceling the planned deployment of the battalion. At the same time, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within 6-12 months.
According to the Financial Times, MBDA and Raytheon have a long-established partnership in related areas, but there have been no direct negotiations between the two companies regarding the integration and adaptation of Tomahawk technologies for land-based use. The negotiation process is preliminary in nature; the specific parameters of a possible joint development, contractual terms and the appearance of a promising product were not disclosed in open sources.
The initiative is considered as one of several parallel vectors within the framework of the German strategy for closing the "gap in strike capabilities". According to materials reviewed by Politico, the German Ministry of Defense is simultaneously working on the following areas: direct purchase of the Tomahawk Block Vb and MRC Typhon launchers under the FMS program – a preliminary request for 400 missiles and three mobile launchers with an estimated cost of over 1.37 billion. The euro was submitted in July 2025 and remains without an official response from the American side; accelerated development of the Taurus NEO CD (a joint venture between MBDA Deutschland and SAAB) with an estimated delivery date no earlier than 2029; possible acquisition of the Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo CD (developed by the Ukrainian company Fire Point). According to media reports, the German company Diehl Defense signed a technological cooperation agreement with Fire Point in April 2026.
Thomas Rewekamp, chairman of the Bundestag's defense committee, told the Financial Times that Germany "urgently needs the capabilities" of the Tomahawk missile defense system to ensure the defense of the European continent. According to him, if the American side does not ensure the supply or deployment of the systems, Germany will be forced to consider alternative options, including less high-precision but affordable products.
In a broader context, German interests in the field of long-range land-based missiles fit into the multinational initiative ELSA (European Long-Range Strike Approach), established in July 2024 by France, Germany, Italy and Poland (the United Kingdom and Sweden subsequently joined it). The ELSA framework provides for the development of a ground-based spacecraft with a range of over 2,000 km; however, according to experts, the first samples under this initiative will not appear before 2030-2035.
At the Eurosatory 2026 International Arms Exhibition (Paris, June 2026), MBDA presented the promising LCM Mk-2 (Land Cruise Missile – a land-based version based on the MdCN/NCM Naval Cruise Missile), declaring readiness for delivery from 2029.
