Wednesday June 23, 2021
Large armaments projects planned
Defense budget rises to 50 billion euros
Defense Minister Kramp-Karrenbauer is happy about a budget that breaks all records. At the end of the legislature, the Budget Committee also approves several armaments projects: They have a total volume of 19 billion euros.
The Bundestag budget committee has approved armaments projects worth billions, such as the planned air combat system FCAS. The specialist politicians also approved the German-Norwegian submarine project “U212 CD” with a financing volume of 2.8 billion euros. The acquisition of three fleet service boats (2 billion euros) and numerous other projects were also approved. A total of 27 templates with a total volume of 19 billion euros were on the table.
All armaments projects worth 25 million euros or more must be submitted to the budget committee for approval. The Federal Cabinet had previously decided on benchmarks for the 2022 budget, which envisage an increase in defense spending to the record level of 50.3 billion euros. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer welcomed this: “Good result. Not for me. For the troops,” wrote the CDU politician on Twitter.
France’s leadership role creates distrust
The air combat system FCAS should be operational by 2040 and replace the Eurofighter. It encompasses more than just a fighter aircraft, as it is supposed to fly in conjunction with unarmed and armed drones. The total costs are estimated at a three-digit billion amount. The current decision was about a further development step that is expected to cost Germany around 4.5 billion euros and to which – as with four other projects – was approved under specifications (“decision of measure”).
The French and Spanish arms industries are also involved in the project – full title: Next Generation Weapon System in a Future Combat Air System (NGWS / FCAS). France has a leading role in this and is repeatedly viewed critically as to whether it is indulging in undue advantages. A point of contention: Who holds the rights of use when taxpayers’ money is used to finance technological quantum leaps?
“Next government set”: FDP criticizes late vote
“At the last minute, the CDU, CSU and SPD bind the next federal government, whatever it may be, to essential and costly armaments projects,” criticized the FDP budget politician Otte Fricke. “The fact that the coalition is not ready for a later, careful special meeting shows its reluctance to engage in constructive, democratic discourse.” The past has shown how important diligence and parliamentary control are in major projects.
The budgetary spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Dennis Rohde, had referred to “hard and concrete guidelines” before the decision. “We have formulated clear conditions for the further progress of the project and thus take into account the criticisms of the Federal Audit Office and those of the Federal Armed Forces Procurement Office,” emphasized Rohde. Despite justified criticism, the SPD continues to support the Franco-German-Spanish project, which is a central component for the sovereign defense capability of the European Union.
The Green defense politician Tobias Lindner called for concerns that both the Federal Armed Forces Procurement Office and the Federal Court of Auditors raise against the next FCAS project phase to be taken seriously. “FCAS is certainly a very important project for European cooperation in the arms sector, also for overriding political reasons,” explained Lindner. “But that is precisely why one has to proceed carefully at the beginning of the program.”
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