How Germany’s armaments industry could do more

Berlin, Dusseldorf, Brussels The group around Air Force Inspector Ingo Gerhartz, which met on Monday in the Koblenz Procurement Office of the Bundeswehr, had only one topic: The almost six-hour meeting was titled a “Round Table on the topic complex Iris-T SLM and ground-based air defense”.

Iris-T SLM is an air defense system developed by the German manufacturer Diehl, which is supplied to Ukraine, but which the Bundeswehr itself does not have. And this despite the fact that it has glaring gaps in “ground-based air defense”. That’s why eight systems are to be ordered in a hurry.

Despite the “turning point” proclaimed almost a year ago, the German armed forces are still in the same position in terms of equipment as Army Inspector Alfons Mais put it shortly after the start of the Ukraine war: “more or less blank”. And with every weapon system that the Bundeswehr hands over to Ukraine, the ability to defend the country and the alliance is further weakened.