Rheinmetall Announces Domestic Cruise Missile Production to Fill US Tomahawk Gap

Germany's largest arms manufacturer Rheinmetall announced plans to begin producing cruise missiles domestically at its main facility in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony. The announcement followed the US cancellation of a planned Tomahawk cruise missile deployment to Germany. Berlin is simultaneously evaluating European alternatives including a land-based derivative of the French MdCN (Naval Cruise Missile) and a Taurus NEO extended-range concept. The move represents a significant step in Germany's strategic shift toward European autonomous strike capability, accelerated by the breakdown in transatlantic defense cooperation under Trump.