Germany to spend €3.4bn on US Tomahawk missiles and Typhon launchers

Germany's Defence Ministry plans to allocate nearly €3.4 billion for the procurement of American Tomahawk cruise missiles and Typhon Mid-Range Capability ground-launched missile systems, media reports said on Monday, 14 September.

The weapons systems

The Tomahawk is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile produced by RTX (Raytheon). The Typhon system is a ground-based launcher developed by Lockheed Martin that can fire Tomahawks and SM-6 missiles. The United States deployed Typhon launchers in Germany earlier in 2026, marking the first such forward deployment in Europe since the Cold War.

Defence context

The planned purchase reflects Germany's accelerating rearmament effort under the Merz government. Germany has been expanding its defence budget significantly since 2022 and is one of the largest military aid donors to Ukraine. Acquiring Tomahawks and Typhon systems would give the Bundeswehr a credible conventional deterrence capability at long range.

Background

Germany's special defence fund, established in 2022 with €100 billion in one-time financing, has been used to fund major procurement programmes. The Tomahawk and Typhon acquisition is expected to be part of the regular defence budget moving forward.