Germany and US sign memorandum to expand defence cooperation

Washington, 16 September 2026 — Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his American counterpart Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum of intent in Washington on 16 September 2026 to broaden cooperation on defence projects, aiming to deepen joint production, development and logistical support for allied forces.

Goals: more European production, faster delivery

The memorandum seeks to expand the role of German industry in supplying weapons, ammunition and military equipment to meet NATO's growing needs. According to the agreement, the two sides will increase opportunities for joint development, co-production and licensed production, and will scale up maintenance and repair capacities.

Hegseth praised Germany's recent steps to strengthen NATO, saying, "Germany sets a good example." He noted Germany is moving toward NATO's target of allocating five percent of GDP to defence and added that strengthening production and sustainment is exactly what allies should be doing.

In the text of the announcement the objective was summed up: "quickly and at large scale to provide highly capable systems for the American, German and allied armed forces in order to achieve maximum combat readiness." Pistorius offered German "knowledge, expertise and production capacity for joint manufacturing."

The United States has already approved the sale of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, though specific terms still need to be negotiated. Pistorius is also planning to take delivery of the first F-35 stealth fighter intended for the German air force.

Pistorius last visited Washington in the summer of 2025. Relations had been strained the previous year, with numerous criticisms from Capitol Hill, but Germany has since significantly increased defence spending and stepped up its role in supplying military assistance to Ukraine.

Photo: press material from the event