Tank supplies are expensive
Pistorius considers special funds to be insufficient
01/27/2023 5:56 p.m
Shortly after taking office, the new defense minister is under no illusions. Pistorius warns that the Bundeswehr will not be able to meet its tank requirements in the short term. The special fund approved last year was too low to modernize the troops.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius no longer considers the special assets of 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr to be sufficient. “The 100 billion will not be enough,” Pistorius told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. “We also have new maintenance costs with every new system. So with every new device there are new and higher running costs.”
The new defense minister also considers the regular budget of around 50 billion euros per year to be insufficient in the long term. “I don’t think that’s enough.” Defense experts have warned that the special credit line of 100 billion euros will not be enough to comprehensively and modernly equip the Bundeswehr again.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, recently spoke of a financial requirement of 300 billion euros. Pistorius conceded that the Bundeswehr urgently and quickly needed supplies, also because of the arms and now also tank deliveries to Ukraine. “Tanks aren’t somewhere on the shelf to take away. They have a delivery time, and that’s not three weeks. And ammunition doesn’t grow on trees and just wants to be picked,” said Pistorius.
“Have to get faster in procurement”
Germany will not be able to meet the demand in the short term. “In the medium and long term, we need to build an arms industry in Europe that can do that. Not everyone has to develop every weapon system. And we should come to standardized weapon systems in Europe.”
Pistorius announced a close alliance with the industry to expand production capacities and speed up deliveries. Next week he will sit down with the arms industry at the table. “We have to be faster in procurement,” said the minister.