Germany Approves Nearly $40 Billion in โMilitary Spending for 2025
Germany’s parliamentary budget committee recently approved โคa considerable wave of defense procurement projects, bringing the nation’s planned military-equipment spending for 2025 close to $40 billion. The December โ3rd approval encompasses 73 majorโ projects, totaling approximately โฌ36.6 billion (roughly $39.7 billion USD).
The spending surge reflects Germany’sโ ambition to establish the Bundeswehr as Europe’s leadingโฃ conventional military force,โ including a planned expansion to approximatelyโ 460,000 personnel – comprised of up to 260,000 active troops, a โคsignificant increase from the current roughly 180,000. Defense โฃMinister Boris โขPistorius has pledged to โขraise defense spending to 3.5% of Germany’s GDP by 2029, cementingโข its position as the continent’s top militaryโ spender.
key approvals include aโฃ significant expansion โคof theโค order for the Bundeswehr’s G95 assault rifle, manufactured by โHeckler & Koch โขas the HK416A8 model.While โฃthe Defense Ministry has not disclosed the exact number, reportsโข suggestโค theโค new order could bringโค the total procurement to as many as 250,000 rifles, building on โขan initial approval of approximatelyโฃ 120,000 units in late 2022. The committee โalso approvedโ theโ purchase of laser light modules to enhance the G95’s functionality wiht night vision goggles.
Further investments focus on advanced technologies and capabilities. procurement continues for Kongsberg’s Joint Strike Missile, โขintended for use with Germany’s incoming F-35A fighter jets. These long-range cruise missiles are designed for internal carriage within the F-35, preservingโค the aircraft’s stealth characteristics.
A novel addition is URANOS AI,an artificialโ intelligence-powered surveillance platform. This system will process reconnaissance data from drones, satellites, and radar stations, initially being deployed with Panzerbrigade 45 in Lithuania, with plansโฃ for eventual integration across all German army brigades. The development of this AI system isโค influenced by theโข observedโ effectiveness of similar capabilities during the Ukraine war.
Other approved projects include โขa framework contract for a “high three-digit number” of aladin reconnaissance drones for close-range surveillance, the acquisition of โover 1,700โ military all-terrain vehicles, and heavy transport trailers capable of moving Leopard 2 main battle tanks.
German โคlaw mandates parliamentary budget committee approval for procurement projects exceeding โฌ25 million ($29 million).
