On June 10, 2024, the governments of the United States and Germany issued a joint statement following discussions before the NATO summit in Washington. The United States will commence periodic deployments of new American ground-based medium- and short-range missile systems, Typhon (Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) System, with Standard SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles) and medium-range Dark Eagle (Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), with potential hypersonic warhead missiles), in non-nuclear configurations in Germany beginning in 2026, according to the statement. This is part of the planning for the permanent deployment of these systems in Germany in the future.
In 2026, the United States will commence episodic deployments of long-range missile systems from its Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany, as per the statement. This is a component of the planning for the permanent deployment of these systems in the future. These non-nuclear long-range missile units, including the SM-6, Tomahawk, and the developing hypersonic weapons, will have a substantially greater range than the current ground-based fire systems in Europe once fully developed. The statement further states that the United States’ dedication to NATO and its involvement in European integrated deterrence will be illustrated through the utilization of these advanced capabilities in the exercises.
Recall that the 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) was initially intended to be stationed in Germany, as announced in April 2021, as one of the five Multi-Domain Task Forces (MDTF) that the US Army had planned. The 2nd MDTF’s command was activated on September 16, 2021, at Lucius D. Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden. The group’s primary forces, including missile systems, were to be stationed at Fort Drum, New York. Consequently, the intermittent deployment of 2nd MDTF missile systems in Germany was predetermined from the outset. However, the new joint statement suggests that the permanent deployment of 2nd MDTF missile systems in Germany is merely a matter of time.
A Long-Range Fires Battalion is anticipated to be included in each MDTF. This battalion will consist of a battery of HIMARS missile systems, a battery, or potentially two, of Typhon (SMRF) missile systems, and a battery of Dark Eagle (LRHW) missile systems. The 2nd MDTF is scheduled to receive the Dark Eagle (LRHW) battery during the 2026 fiscal year.
