Bad Bundeswehr planning?
Armaments expert: billions in special funds "used up in three and a half years"
Created: 05/15/2022, 06:06
By: Astrid Theil
The traffic light coalition wants to better equip the Bundeswehr with 100 billion euros.
An expert thinks that's not enough.
© dpa
100 billion euros in special funds are to be spent on the Bundeswehr.
An expert warns that this sum is not enough.
Berlin - After the large-scale attack by Russian troops on Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised a 100 billion euro special fund for the Bundeswehr.
This is intended to remedy the deficits in the Bundeswehr that have existed for a long time and are known to politicians and the public.
The army and navy should receive more money for ammunition and equipment in order to be able to defend themselves in an emergency.
There is broad agreement on this.
However, there is now disagreement about the concrete implementation.
So far it is unclear how the 100 billion euro special fund and a planned amendment to the Basic Law associated with it are to be implemented.
In addition, there is also disagreement as to how the Federal Chancellor's further promise, namely compliance with the NATO target of spending two percent of gross domestic product on defense, should be kept.
Bundeswehr: 100 billion will be used up after a few years
Now it is also increasingly being questioned how sensible the 100 billion special funds actually are for the Bundeswehr.
In an interview with
Die Welt
, the armaments expert at the German Society for Foreign Relations (DGAP), Christian Mölling, pointed out that these funds will be used up after just a few years.
"The 100 billion special fund is only enough for around three and a half years to finance the new target of at least two percent of gross domestic product for defense spending," said Mölling.
The head of the security and defense program of the DGAP warns of a funding gap despite the 100 billion euros.
He estimates that there will be an "additional need of 250 billion euros" over a period of ten years.
It therefore makes more sense "not to blow out the special fund right at the beginning", but to spend it more slowly and to increase the regular defense budget.
In this way, planning security and time for reforms can be gained.
Expert warns: Deficits in the Bundeswehr could remain
In the medium term, a sum of 50 billion euros is planned as a defense budget.
The expert warns that if the 100 billion euros are spent too quickly, the Bundeswehr's capability gaps could remain, as there is no sustainable financing for new technologies.
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