Germany’s Army plans to buy US cruise missiles and add cheaper, mass-producible weapons to its long-range strike inventory, as it looks to expand its ability to overwhelm air defences and hit targets up to about 1,500 kilometres away. Army inspector Christian Freuding outlined the approach in Berlin at a parliamentary evening hosted by the Army’s support association, with first deliveries considered possible from 2027.
The procurement push centres on a dual-track approach: high-end missiles sourced in the US and lower-cost systems intended for saturation attacks. Freuding pointed to two market-available candidates under consideration, although both still need to be qualified for the Bundeswehr. The plan fits into Germany’s broader effort to build up deep-strike capacity and larger stockpiles more quickly, while avoiding long development timelines for new weapons.
The timing also coincides with fresh industrial activity in Germany. US defence company Covenant opened a cruise-missile production site in Leipzig this week, with production of its Anthem system scheduled to begin in 2027. That facility is being presented as a lower-cost option for large-scale output, though no procurement contract for the Army’s US cruise-missile requirement has been confirmed. The reporting indicates the federal government is preparing to buy the high-end systems in the US while the Army continues to examine cheaper alternatives for mass use.