Berlin: Germany’s parliament has given the green light for a set of defence procurements collectively worth more than €7 billion ($8.14 billion), with new combat jets topping the list of new equipment.
The purchase of additional tranche-five Eurofighters makes up more than half of the funding allocated by the parliamentary Budget Committee, at around €3.75 billion ($4.36 billion). The twenty aircraft are set to be delivered from 2031 through 2034. Additionally, the Luftwaffe, Germany’s air force, will receive parts needed for the maintenance of the aircraft, as well as upgraded simulators for a total of €412 million.
In Germany, military purchases worth more than €25 million need approval from the parliamentary budget committee. Lawmakers gave the nod to a total of 14 such planned investments.
The tranche-five Eurofighters will be equipped with more capable EScan radars. The military said that the new jets would be particularly important for electronic warfare, replacing Berlin’s aging fleet of Tornado aircraft. A separate proposal approved involved further upgrading the Eurofighter fleet with updated electronic warfare abilities, particularly the suppression of enemy air defences, for a total of €1.13 billion, to be completed by 2033.
The latest Eurofighter buy will be financed out of the military’s regular budget rather than the special fund of €100 billion created by the previous government in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Several other projects newly approved will get money from the special fund.
Among the additional spending plans approved this week were new Boxer armoured vehicles for training and medical missions, a contract for the production of light, air-droppable land combat vehicles, as well as the development of a new pontoon bridge for river crossings. The navy, too, will receive new gear as a result of the funds appropriated, including new medium-range boats for Germany’s maritime special forces and the procurement of mine-hunting sonar systems.
Since the start of the year, the budgetary committee has approved 25 major procurement projects for the German military as the country ramps up its rearmament and seeks to become the strongest conventional army in Europe.
