Germany expands missile capabilities with US production request and new Arrow‑3 battery

Germany is negotiating with the United States for a licence to produce Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot PAC‑3 MSE interceptors on German soil, potentially becoming the first continental European nation to manufacture these U.S. precision weapons. The initiative is linked to Germany’s €100 billion Sondervermögen defence fund and aims to speed delivery, diversify NATO’s missile industrial base and reduce reliance on U.S. production lines that are currently strained by multiple commitments.

In parallel, the Bundeswehr is advancing its national missile‑defence architecture by adding a second Arrow‑3 battery in Bavaria near Kaufbeuren, complementing the first battery near Berlin. The new site will host radar components in Kaufbeuren and launchers at Lechfeld air base, extending high‑altitude interception coverage, creating about 40 local jobs and involving an investment of over $94 million.