F-35, Leopard, Navy: How the traffic light is now arming the Bundeswehr - on several fronts

After much criticism of the traffic light's defense policy, billions are now being invested in the German armed forces.

Merkur.de explains which ones.

Munich/Berlin – Boris Pistorius (SPD) tackles.

In the spring of 2023, the Federal Minister of Defense is pushing ahead with the "turning point" announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in March 2022.

Bundeswehr: Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is pushing the "turning point"

Most recently, Pistorius had fired three executives: the state secretary in the Ministry of Defense, Margaretha Sudhof, the head of the procurement office, Gabriele Korb, and the long-standing Bundeswehr Inspector General Eberhard Zorn had to go.

His successor is Major General Carsten Breuer.

With Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), the chairwoman of the defense committee in the Bundestag, Pistorius knows that he has an important supporter at his side.

"I think a lot of him," said Strack-zimmermann recently

.

After a standstill under Pistorius' predecessor Christine Lambrecht (SPD), there may now be movement in the turning point.

Leopard 2 main battle tanks, navy, air force - the traffic light coalition wants to arm Germany with several measures:

What goes from the Bundeswehr to Ukraine should be replaced

"We are in a struggle for survival of the best form of government in the world," Strack-Zimmermann explained recently at a panel discussion in Munich: "Everything that we hand over must be ordered immediately." Germany needs more steam and speed, she said: "Mr Pistorius knows that. He knows there can be no hesitation.

That's a board he has to drill from here to the other side of the world.

Everyone knows the situation has never been this serious.” The democratic parties in parliament are therefore moving closer together.

On March 29, the budget committee of the Bundestag approved a massive increase in arms aid for Ukraine by twelve billion euros.

The money is not only to be used to support Kiev, but also for replacements for the German armed forces should their stocks be depleted by deliveries to Ukraine.

In the video: Leopard 2 - one of the most modern main battle tanks in the world

Leopard 2 A7V and Panzerhaubitzen 2000: Heer gets new, "heavy weapons"

The Bundeswehr recently made 18 "Leopard-2-A6" available to the Ukrainian armed forces for their defense against the Russian invasion.

“We are ordering new Leopard 2s. This is the A7, the latest model.

Because we are giving some to the Ukraine from the Bundeswehr stock.

In this context, we immediately placed the order for new ones to be manufactured," explained Strack-Zimmermann exclusively

.

According to reports, there should be 14 tanks.

This should only be the beginning.

"If we supply these, it cannot be ruled out that significantly more will be ordered," she continued: "You can assume that more will follow." According to her, replacements for artillery that have been delivered are also in the works: "The tank howitzer will also be purchased .” Germany, together with the Netherlands, had handed over 14 self-propelled guns to Ukraine.

The German armaments industry is obviously going along with it.

On request, the Munich tank builder Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) said that sufficient production capacity would be created for the Bundeswehr - although the production of 54 new "Leopard-2-A7" for the NATO partner Norway was just starting in Munich-Allach.

According to reports, the German Bundeswehr has 243 "Leos", of which 30 percent are always in maintenance.

portal

, a further 50 “Puma” infantry fighting vehicles are to be ordered.

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The “GTK Boxer”: The Bundeswehr is getting more than 100 new armored troop transporters built in Australia by the German armaments group Rheinmetall.

© IMAGO / photo library

"Boxer" for the army: Traffic light federal government creates 100 wheeled tanks

The Bundeswehr is also getting new wheeled tanks for infantry soldiers.

More than 100 "Boxers" are purchased.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Defense.

Production is already underway.

The German armaments company Rheinmetall produces the armored personnel carriers at its site in Australia.

The goal is to deliver the first vehicles in 2025.

According to the Australian business newspaper 

 the order volume amounts to around 1.8 billion euros.

The money comes from the 100 billion euro “Bundeswehr Special Fund”.

Air Force: Büchel base is a major construction site - procurement of the F-35 fighter jets is ongoing

Germany is buying 35 F-35 stealth fighter jets from the USA for an estimated ten billion euros.

Not only that: The Büchel air force base planned for stationing is being rebuilt under high pressure, explained FDP defense politician Strack-Zimmermann: “Every district administrator, every mayor supports.”

Nothing is known about the costs, construction measures and schedule.

The Büchel Air Base of Tactical Air Force Squadron 33 is hermetically sealed off.

Located between the Moselle and Luxembourg, American tactical nuclear missiles are to be stored here, with which the "F-35" can be equipped.

They are intended to replace outdated Tornado fighter jets.

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A US Air Force F-35 fighter jet.

(symbol photo)

© IMAGO/Alexander Melnikov

Bundeswehr barracks: 1.4 billion euros for modernization

Investments are also being made in aging barracks.

The Hammelburg Saaleck barracks near Bad Kissingen in Lower Franconia are currently being turned inside out for 590 million euros.

In Wildflecken, in the triangle between Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia, the former Rhön barracks are being converted into an IT center - at an estimated cost of 83 million euros.

Said investments were initiated under the former CDU/SPD federal government before the Ukraine war.

According to

the modernization of the Brandenburg Bundeswehr location in Beelitz is also in full swing.

The budget is 75 million euros.

The broadcaster refers to the Federal Office for Infrastructure, according to which 660 million euros will flow into Brandenburg barracks alone in the next five years.

At the federal level, it should be 1.4 billion euros for barracks and military training areas.

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New combat ship for the Navy: the frigate 125 "Baden-Württemberg" was put into service in February 2023.

© IMAGO/Oliver Wunder

German Navy: Unmanned submarines and ships in planning

And on the water?

As the

reports, according to the "Marine 2035+" plans, more unmanned naval warfare resources are to be procured in the future - for example high-tech anti-mine boats ("Unmanned MCM System").

the Navy's technological change of course should

also be counter-financed by abandoning planned corvettes.

Only six to nine units of the Type 130 corvettes are to be built instead of the planned ten units, and three instead of four units of the Type 125 frigates.

There should be six instead of five ships from the most modern frigate variant Type 127, with which air defense is possible.

Six unmanned aerial systems are to be purchased for sea reconnaissance, which are a kind of giant drone.