US approves $11.9 billion sale of naval combat systems to Germany

The US State Department has approved a potential sale of advanced naval combat management systems to Germany in a deal worth up to $11.9 billion, Bloomberg reported on Saturday.

Germany intends to purchase integrated combat system equipment based on the AEGIS ballistic missile defense system, along with associated radar stations for eight surface ships. The prime contractors for the project are Lockheed Martin Corp. and RTX Corp.

In its notification to Congress, the State Department emphasized that the sale supports U.S. foreign policy goals by enhancing the security of a NATO ally and improving the interoperability of German naval forces with the militaries of the U.S. and other allied countries.

The approval defines the scope and maximum possible value of the deal, which remains subject to review by Congress and further negotiations between Berlin and the suppliers. Finalizing system deliveries could take several years, reports KyivPost.

This investment in transatlantic defense cooperation comes at a time of growing strategic uncertainty. While US President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the long-term relevance of NATO's Article 5, European allies have accelerated efforts to strengthen their own security frameworks.

The European External Action Service (EEAS) is currently drafting a “manual” to operationalize the EU’s mutual assistance clause (Article 42.7), which requires member states to assist any partner facing armed aggression.

The shift toward European strategic autonomy has been highlighted by recent regional crises, including the passage of Iranian drones over Cyprus and Spain's decision to close its airspace to aircraft involved in US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

As Germany's purchase of AEGIS technology strengthens its ties to the US defense industrial base, EU leaders continue to simulate conflict scenarios to determine how the bloc can respond to threats independently if NATO's traditional security guarantees are put to the test.

The GeoPost