Germany requests Typhon Tomahawk launchers

German defence Minister Boris Pistorius officially requested the procurement of Typhon launcher systems for long-range standoff weapons during a visit to his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington on July 14. 

As Pistorius explained to journalists following the meeting with Hegseth, the so-called Letter of Request for the system has been submitted to the US. Hegseth welcomed the request and it is now being reviewed. Since the procurement is to be conducted as part of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, they are now awaiting the “Letter of Offer and Acceptance.” Only then will Germany decide whether to actually procure the system, Pistorius explained.

According to Pistorius, Typhon is a “land-based launcher” capable of launching various missiles at different distances. The US defence company Lockheed Martin manufactures the Typhon launcher, also known as the Mid-Range Capability Launcher (MRC), which is in use by the US Army. The Typhon is derived from the largest version of the Vertical Launch System (VLS) Mk 41, as used on naval vessels, and features four launch containers on a semi-trailer.

Pistorius did not provide any details about the missiles to be used for the Typhon. He simply stated that they are land-based systems with a range of “around 2,000 kilometers” that serve purely as a deterrent. No European companies produce weapons with this range, and the US military uses the Typhon to fire SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles, although only the latter can achieve the ranges Pistorius mentioned. They equip the five Multi Domain Task Forces (MDTF) that the US Army is establishing to coordinate kinetic and non-kinetic effects across domains, supporting the joint force’s efforts to dismantle adversary air defence networks. 

Pistorius left open whether the Federal Ministry of Defence had also requested Tomahawk cruise missiles or other weapons for the Typhon. However, as hartpunkt learned from well-informed circles at the beginning of the year, the Federal Ministry of Defence is already discussing the procurement of Tomahawks as an interim solution until the introduction of a European weapon that could be deployed from the ground.

According to the minister, Typhon is needed as a bridging solution until Europe has its own long-range standoff weapons in seven to ten years. In this context, he referred to the ELSA (European Long Range Strike Approach) initiative, within which such land-based systems are to be developed, among others, with Great Britain.

According to him, the US Department of defence is currently reviewing the temporary deployment of conventional medium-range missiles in Germany starting next year, as announced by the Biden administration. A final decision is still pending. This relates to the announcement made in July 2024 that the US would deploy its 2nd MDTF to Germany and that it would be equipped with the Typhon including Tomahawks and SM-6, as well as developmental hypersonic capabilities. 

Calibre comment

The focus on the deterrent effect of land-based Tomahawks is worth considering in further detail. Russia is understood to be concerned about the ability of the West to conduct missile strikes on Moscow and in general has spent a lot of time thinking about Western air power. Understanding that NATO would deliver a “massed aerospace strike” in the opening phases of any war, Russia has developed a range of air defence systems specifically designed to degrade NATO air power. It has also gained operational experience of defending against relatively complex air strikes in Ukraine, and its air defence network is capable of shooting down cruise missiles like the Tomahawk. This means that magazine depth in terms of missiles and launch platforms will likely be important for successful deterrence, as will a capable strike planning cell. 

Additionally, the Typhon is part of a significant targeting capability within the MDTFs, including systems like TITAN which is designed to fuse intelligence from a variety of sources including satellites in real time. The MDTFs are also expected to deploy signals intelligence systems, long endurance drones, and various other types of ISTAR to locate targets at the furthest reaches of their weapons. Germany would also need to develop its own capabilities in this sphere to properly exploit the capabilities of the Typhon. 

This article, written by Lars Hoffman, was originally published in German by Hartpunkt on July 15, 2025. Hartpunkt and Calibre are collaborating to bring you the best content from across Europe. The Calibre Comment was added prior to publication in English. 

The featured image at the top of this article shows a US Army Mid-Range Capability System (Typhon) firing a Standard Missile-6 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. on Nov. 8, 2024. This was the first time the Mid-Range Capability had been fired using organic Army sensors and organic Army shooters. (Photo provided courtesy of the Mid-Range Capability Project Office).