US greenlights Tomahawk missile sale to Germany, says Merz: Inside the precision weapon used in the Iran war

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday said that the United States has approved the sale of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, marking a significant step in strengthening the country's defence capabilities.

President Donald Trump said 49 Tomahawk missiles were used to attack targets inside Iran as part of the operation during the war, according to Fox News.

As per AFP, speaking to lawmakers, Merz said, "On the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Ankara, we agreed with the American government that American Tomahawk missiles will be purchased by us and stationed in Germany."

He stated that the acquisition would enhance Germany's military readiness, adding, “The move will close an important strategic gap in our defences.”

Merz also stressed that Europe would continue investing in its own defence capabilities, saying, “At the same time, we will work on developing our own European systems and stationing them in Europe.”

The announcement comes after Merz indicated in May that the planned deployment of Tomahawk missiles to Germany, originally announced by former US president Joe Biden, might not proceed. At the time, he attributed the uncertainty to depleted missile stockpiles caused by the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

What is a Tomahawk missile? History, design and more

The Tomahawk is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile capable of operating in all weather conditions. Mainly used by the United States Navy and the Royal Navy, it is designed to carry out precision strikes against high-value and heavily defended targets. The missile can be launched from both surface warships and submarines, while its terrain-following flight profile and sophisticated guidance systems enable it to evade enemy air defences and accurately reach its target.

The Tomahawk cruise missile was conceived in the early 1970s during the Cold War as a weapon capable of carrying either nuclear or conventional warheads. Initially developed by General Dynamics and later produced by Raytheon, it entered operational service in 1983.

Measuring about 5.6 metres (18.4 feet) in length without its booster, the missile weighs up to 1,600 kg. It travels at a subsonic speed of around 880 kmph and flies at altitudes as low as 30–50 metres, helping it evade enemy radar. Depending on the variant, the Tomahawk has a strike range of more than 1,600 km. It can be equipped with unitary high-explosive warheads or cluster munitions, while older versions were capable of carrying nuclear warheads that have since been withdrawn from service.

The Tomahawk combines multiple advanced navigation technologies to achieve highly accurate strikes. It uses GPS alongside an Inertial Navigation System (INS) to maintain its flight path. For terminal guidance, the missile employs Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM), which compares the terrain below with stored digital maps, and Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC), which matches real-time ground imagery with pre-programmed reference images to pinpoint the target.

Newer variants are also equipped with two-way data links, allowing operators to update the missile's route during flight, redirect it to a different target, keep it in a holding pattern, or even abort the mission if required.

The Tomahawk cruise missile has been widely used in major military operations over the past three decades. During the 1991 Gulf War, the United States launched more than 280 Tomahawk missiles against Iraqi targets. In 1998, the missile was used in Operation Infinite Reach to strike suspected terrorist facilities in Sudan and Afghanistan.

Hundreds more were fired during the 2003 Iraq War as part of the opening "shock and awe" campaign aimed at crippling Iraq's military infrastructure. In 2011, Tomahawks played a key role in the NATO-led intervention in Libya by targeting and disabling the country's air defence systems. In 2017, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at Syria's Shayrat Airbase in response to a chemical weapons attack.