Defense and security politicians from the SPD and the CDU/CSU are putting pressure on Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) to find a quick replacement for the cancelled delivery of American Tomahawk missiles. According to Siemtje Möller, Vice Chairwoman of the SPD parliamentary group, the cancellaton of the US Tomahawk missiles in Germany means that Europe must now “put the turbo on” to build up its own defense capabilities. While the Tomahawks were initially viewed as a temporary measure until Europe could acquire its own modern, long-range precision weapons, the withdrawal raises concerns among experts about a potential “deterrence gap”.
Möller argued that Europe must accelerate its own rocket production, pointing to the vast technological expertise and strong industrial capacity that Germany and other European nations possess in this field. She urged the partners involved in the ELSA project to quickly convene and devise ways to significantly speed up development, production, and acquisition. Additionally, the SPD politician suggested exploring specialized cooperation with Ukraine, which has developed its own ground-based intermediate-range capability with the FP-5 Flamingo missile.
The CDU/CSU group has also increased the pressure on Pistorius, with spokesman Thomas Erndl criticizing the pace of the Armed Forces’ modernization efforts as too slow. Using the area of long-range weapons-known as Deep Precision Strike-as an example, Erndl demanded that Pistorius present an “Action Plan 2029” detailing how Germany can become “deterrent” in a timely manner. The CDU/CSU politician also suggested that in addressing the missile issue, attention should be paid not only to multinational efforts but also to “innovative solutions” coming from young German companies.