The reduction of the American army in Germany may have an unexpectedly positive consequence for Europe’s defense capability. Without American Tomahawks, Europeans will be forced to make their own.
Now, the details.
The US is reducing its military presence in Germany and effectively rolling back the plan to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles, which was presented back in 2024 as a key element of deterring Russia. As a result, Europe is left without a quick solution in the segment of long-range strike systems.
Unfortunately, European systems like the Taurus KEPD 350 or Storm Shadow have a significantly shorter range and do not reach the American level.
Berlin is now looking at the option of relaunching the production and development of Taurus Neo. This refers to a new version with a potential range of up to approximately 1,000 km and modern electronics. But the key problem is time. This system is expected no earlier than 2030 and does not address the current capability gap.
However, an unexpected effect arises here. The absence of an American “umbrella” solution is forcing Europeans to do what they have postponed for years. Invest in their own long-range systems, scale up production, and build an autonomous defense architecture.
The paradox of the situation is that the weakening of American presence may, in the medium term, strengthen Europe through enforced strategic maturity.
The question is no longer whether a European equivalent of the Tomahawk will appear. The question is how quickly Europe can travel this path without the usual reliance on the US.
And America, thanks to Trump, continues to lose allies and arms markets.
On the cover: A prototype of a European hypersonic missile made its first test flight, February 2026. Photo: Hypersonica
