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.
PA Media Defence minister Luke Pollard has said he was "disgusted" when he heard that soldiers were injured while using Ajax armoured vehicles, which he had previously been assured were safe. Last month, the Army paused its use of the vehicles after 30 soldiers became ill from noise and vibration during a military exercise. The 6.3bn Ajax project had been due to deliver 589 armoured vehicles with the first entering service in 2017. However, the programme has been beset by problems and repeatedly delayed.