German MPs approve 50 billion in military purchases

"German lawmakers Wednesday approved about €50 billion in military purchases, as Berlin accelerates defence spending in the face of a hostile Russia and signs of weakening security commitments from Washington. The extensive list of procurements ranged from missiles to artillery, torpedoes, armoured vehicles, satellite systems and new uniforms as Berlin races to overhaul the long-neglected Bundeswehr. Officials said that the new purchases, greenlighted by parliament's budget committee, mean a "historic" number of defence acquisitions have been approved this year, worth nearly €83 billion."

""We are sending a signal to the (NATO) alliance and our partners: Germany is leading the way," the defence ministry said in a statement. "We are fulfilling our obligations to the alliance and accepting our responsibility for security and peace in Europe." After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Germany dropped a long-standing pacifist tradition shaped by its dark World War II past and started ramping up spending to overhaul the armed forces."

"The defence budget for this year had already been laid out but Wednesday's purchases had to be approved by parliament's budget committee, in line with rules that individual acquisitions over €25 million must be signed off by MPs. The purchases spanned more than 30 different projects, including missiles for Patriot and Iris-T air defence systems, artillery, torpedoes, weapon systems for aircraft and unmanned aerial reconnai"

German lawmakers approved about €50 billion in military purchases to accelerate a major overhaul of the long-neglected Bundeswehr. Procurements include missiles, artillery, torpedoes, armoured vehicles, satellite systems, uniforms and other equipment across more than 30 projects, raising approved defence acquisitions this year to nearly €83 billion. The purchases are presented as a signal to NATO partners and a fulfillment of European security responsibilities after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and amid perceived weakening U.S. commitment. Chancellor Friedrich Merz exempted defence spending from strict debt rules to free funds, and individual buys over €25 million required parliamentary sign-off.

Read at The Local Germany