Germany seeks massive armored vehicle purchase to strengthen military - Bloomberg
Germany may order Patria armored personnel carriers (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Germany plans to significantly strengthen its defense capabilities. In particular, the country aims to order 8,500 armored vehicles and personnel carriers, Bloomberg reports.
According to the outlet's sources, on July 28, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius informed lawmakers about the government's plans to make the Bundeswehr the strongest army in Europe.
The German government intends to approve a financial plan on July 30 that will more than double the country's defense budget to 162 billion euros over four years.
Bloomberg's interlocutors reported that more than 60 procurement requests for weapons are expected to be submitted to parliament by the end of the year.
The largest purchase will be an order for 20 additional Eurofighter jets worth around 3 billion euros. Eurofighter production is handled by a consortium of BAE Systems, Airbus, and the Italian company Leonardo.
Berlin also plans to purchase up to 5,000 Boxer armored vehicles in various configurations from manufacturers KNDS and Rheinmetall.
In addition, the country intends to procure at least 3,500 Patria AMV armored vehicles from the Finnish company Patria. These will replace the outdated Fuchs armored personnel carriers.
The Ministry of Defense is also considering the purchase of several hundred Leopard 2 tanks from KNDS and Rheinmetall.
A strategy for drones is also being developed, which includes orders worth billions of euros from German manufacturers such as Helsing and Quantum Systems.
Germany's plans
Just a week ago, the cabinet of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz approved a draft law aimed at removing a number of restrictions to accelerate military procurement.
Additionally, on July 29, it was reported that German specialists are developing long-range drones capable of striking targets deep behind enemy lines.
