Mid-Range Capability (MRC) land-based missile launcher system that Germany agreed to host on its territory beginning in 2026 as part of a bilateral agreement with the United States — the first deployment of US intermediate-range ground-based missiles in Europe since the INF Treaty era. The Typhon system launches both Tomahawk cruise missiles (1,600+ km range) and SM-6 multi-role missiles (370+ km range for anti-air, anti-ship, and land-attack). Mounted on a semi-trailer launcher derived from the Mk 41 VLS. The deployment is designed to close a capability gap against Russian intermediate-range missiles like the SSC-8 (9M729) and Iskander. Germany plans to develop an indigenous European long-range strike capability as a follow-on.
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- Ground-based long-range fires previously absent from German arsenal
- SM-6 provides dual anti-air and land-attack capability
- Rapid deployment enhances NATO deterrence on eastern flank
- U.S.-supplied system; sovereignty concerns in German politics
- Echoes Cold War-era INF Treaty debate; politically sensitive
- Dependency on U.S. for missile resupply
- Temporary deployment; long-term plan uncertain
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