The possible disruption of US plans to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany creates a serious gap in the military capabilities of the Bundeswehr, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.
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In July 2024, the previous US administration and the German government announced plans to deploy American precision missile systems starting in 2026, which will significantly surpass those already in Europe. They talked, in particular, about SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk and hypersonic weapons.
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However, the Financial Times, citing a Pentagon source, reported last week that the United States, as part of the planned reduction of the military contingent in Germany, would reconsider the decision to deploy its battalion with long-range weapons.
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“The fact that this (Tomahawk deployment plans) may not be happening the way we previously assumed, once again creates a gap in military capabilities,” Pistorius said at a press conference in Munster.
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At the same time, the head of the German Defense Ministry admitted that Washington’s decision did not come as a surprise to him personally. According to him, back in 2023, he warned that European NATO allies should prepare for a reduction in the American presence in Europe due to the shift in US focus to the Indo-Pacific region.
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According to Pistorius, the Tomahawk’s deployment in Germany was only meant to temporarily compensate for Europe’s lack of its own long-range systems.
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“Now we have to look at how we can compensate for that,” he said.
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In this regard, the minister recalled that Germany had started developing such systems together with the United Kingdom in 2023.
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“Now the French want to join us, independently develop DPS (long-range missile program) systems as Europeans, and do it as soon as possible,” Pistorius concluded.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday that he does not expect the deployment of Tomahawk missiles in Germany, but does not rule out that the situation may change in the future.
