BERLIN — Germany is planning to spend nearly €3.4 billion ($3.75 billion) to acquire US-made Typhon mobile launchers and Tomahawk cruise missiles, according to an internal Defense Ministry planning document first reported by Politico.
The proposed spending is expected to be considered during preparations for Germany’s 2027 federal budget. The final cost and number of missiles and launchers have not yet been decided and will require Bundestag approval.
A German Defense Ministry spokesperson declined to confirm the exact budget allocation because the budget process is ongoing, but said that “the procurement of the US Typhon system with Tomahawk cruise missiles remains intended.” Germany has already submitted a formal Letter of Request to the US Department of Defense.
Ground-Based Long-Range Strike Capability
The acquisition would give the Bundeswehr its first independently operated, ground-based long-range conventional strike capability. Germany has traditionally relied mainly on air-launched weapons, including the Taurus KEPD 350.
The Typhon system, also known as the Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) system and built by Lockheed Martin, uses mobile launchers based on modified Mk 41 vertical launch cells.
It can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and is also designed to fire SM-6 missiles. Tomahawk missiles are produced by Raytheon, now part of RTX, and have a reported range of about 2,500 kilometers.
Germany’s planning documents indicate that the Bundeswehr aims to bring the Typhon system into service by the end of the decade.
From US Deployment to German Ownership
The planned purchase follows the cancellation of an earlier US deployment plan.
In July 2024, then-US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to begin rotational deployment of US long-range weapons in Germany from 2026, including US-operated Tomahawk missiles. The Trump administration later canceled the planned deployment.
Germany subsequently approached Washington in 2025 to purchase its own Typhon launchers and Tomahawks. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump reached an agreement in principle during the NATO summit in Ankara.
The exact quantities remain undisclosed, while further details of the procurement are still being negotiated.
German Industry Participation
Berlin is also seeking German industrial participation in the program, including possible manufacturing and maintenance work.
The Defense Ministry planning document refers to “the prospect of industrial cooperation.” However, no binding workshare or production agreement has been finalized. The United States is expected to retain control over sensitive technology and intellectual property.
Part of Wider Long-Range Strike Plans
The Typhon and Tomahawk acquisition is part of Germany’s broader long-range strike plans. Berlin is also pursuing the Taurus Neo modernization program and participating in the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA).
Germany is also working with the United Kingdom on a future European deep-strike cruise missile intended to provide a range of up to 2,000 kilometers in the 2030s.
The Typhon program would allow Germany to operate a ground-based long-range strike capability under its own control rather than relying on rotational US deployments.
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