The largest amount of 40.9 billion euros is earmarked for the “air dimension”, i.e. the air force.
(Photo: IMAGO/photothek)
Berlin This year, the federal government intends to spend only a fraction of the €100 billion special pot to strengthen the Bundeswehr. A draft of an economic plan available to the German Press Agency shows that expenditure of 90 million euros is still planned for 2022. Half of this is to be spent on clothing and personal equipment for soldiers.
Overall, the largest sum is to be spent on the “air dimension”, i.e. primarily the air force. This emerges from a previously confidential list, which according to dpa information is a basis for the economic plan. This should be decided at the end of the week in the Bundestag. First, the “Business Insider” reported on the listing.
Accordingly, 40.9 billion euros are earmarked for the “dimension air”. For example, Eurofighter aircraft are listed for electronic air combat – jamming, suppressing and attacking enemy air defense positions. Also mentioned are, among other things, F-35 jets as a successor to the Tornado, the procurement of heavy transport helicopters, ground-based air defense and a space-based early warning system.
19.3 billion euros are planned for the “Dimension Sea”, including for the corvette 130, the frigate F126 and multi-purpose combat boats. The “Dimension Land” lists projects for 16.6 billion euros, including the retrofitting of the remaining Puma infantry fighting vehicles and the successor to the Marder infantry fighting vehicle.
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Other spending is planned for soldiers’ clothing and personal equipment (2 billion), digitization, satellite communications and other means of communication (20.7 billion), and research and development.
Reservists Association considers special funds to be insufficient
The reservists’ association considers the special fund to be insufficient to cover the investment needs of the troops. Association head Patrick Sensburg described the need for investment in defense at well over 300 billion euros in the “Handelsblatt”.
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The traffic light coalition and Union had agreed on the legal basis for the planned special fund on Sunday evening after weeks of wrangling. In principle, this gives the green light for weapon orders from the armaments industry on a large scale.
FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki called for unity from the SPD. “I urgently warn the Social Democrats not to support the 100 billion euro package for the equipment of the Bundeswehr with great unity,” said Kubicki of the dpa.
The first parliamentary director of the SPD parliamentary group, Katja Mast, assumed that her parliamentary group and the Bundestag as a whole would approve. Advice from outside is not necessary, she told the dpa. Juso boss Jessica Rosenthal, who is also a member of the SPD Bundestag, rejected the compromise.
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner described the Bundeswehr special fund as a “one-off exception” and insisted that the federal government again comply with the debt brake anchored in the Basic Law in 2023. That is not negotiable for him, said the FDP leader on Monday evening on ZDF.
More: 100 billion pact: Deal with the Union causes displeasure among the Greens