WASHINGTON, USA: The United States announced it will begin deploying long-range missiles in Germany starting in 2026, signaling a firm commitment to NATO and European defence.
This deployment will initially be “episodic,” eventually leading to the stationing of advanced weaponry, including SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as developmental hypersonic weapons with extended ranges.
The deployment marks a significant shift in US military strategy in Europe. The Tomahawk and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), both produced by RTX, will be part of the arsenal. These ground-based missiles, with ranges exceeding 500 kilometers, were previously banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty of 1987. This treaty, signed by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan, was the first to reduce nuclear arsenals and eliminate an entire category of weapons.
Germany, along with Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic, destroyed their intermediate-range missiles in the 1990s, followed later by Slovakia and Bulgaria. However, the U.S. withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019, citing violations by Russia, specifically the development of the 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile (NATO: SSC-8), which Moscow denied.
In response to US actions, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated in June that Moscow should resume production of intermediate and shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles. He noted that while Russia had pledged not to deploy such missiles, the U.S. had resumed production and had deployed them to Europe and Asia, including Denmark and the Philippines.
