US Delays Response to Germany’s Request for Tomahawk Missiles and Launchers for 10 Months

The German Federal Ministry of Defence is still waiting for a response from the US regarding its request to purchase Typhon launchers and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

A spokesperson for the German defense ministry told hartpunkt that no official decision has been made by the US.

Berlin submitted its request for these weapons systems in July of last year.

The potential deal would involve the purchase of up to 400 Block Vb missiles, valued at over one billion euros. These weapons are intended to fill the long-range capabilities gap until European systems are developed under the joint ELSA program.

The review of Germany’s request is affected by the depletion of US arsenals following the war with Iran, in which US forces used a large number of missiles. Due to the need to replenish its own stockpiles, the US military has been given priority in deliveries over foreign customers.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed that plans to deploy long-range systems – Tomahawk, SM-6, and Dark Eagle missiles – in Germany have been canceled. These missiles were originally scheduled to be stationed in Germany starting in 2025 under agreements from the previous Biden administration.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the US decision leaves a gap in Germany’s defense capabilities. The ministry is now exploring alternative solutions or speeding up the development of European Deep Precision Strike systems.