Christine Lambrecht (SPD) had promised clarity about the 100 billion euro fund for the Bundeswehr. Nonetheless, the members of the defense committee did not get much wiser when the defense minister presented her list of projects to be financed from the special fund on Monday. The about-face in the armaments policy, announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to international applause, is also proving to be difficult in detail.
The core of the plans, which Lambrecht first presented to the traffic light circle and then to the deputies in the defense committee, are well known. Improving the soldiers’ personal equipment is high on the list of priorities. This ranges from protective vests to night vision devices and modern digital radio to warm underwear. The military commissioner, Eva Högl, only just found out during a visit to the troops that there wasn’t enough winter clothing on site, even for the small support group in the Baltic States.
But there is a second reason why this point is at the forefront: the defect can be remedied quickly, practically off the shelf. It should be possible to do this more often in the near future.
With reference to an exception in EU law – albeit limited to crisis situations – the ministry wants to order more directly in the future, without having to go through a tender. In addition, the limit for small purchases will be raised from 1,000 to 5,000 euros. Last but not least, this should significantly relieve the Bundeswehr procurement office, which then no longer has to check and approve such small orders. This should also help to remedy acute shortages more quickly.
Scholz promises a permanent two percent
Such speed is not only symbolically important and good for the atmosphere in the troupe. It also helps to achieve Scholz’s stated goal of increasing the defense budget to two percent of gross domestic product from 2022.
Compared to today’s budget of around 50 billion euros, this is a mighty jump of a good 17 billion, with an upward trend in the years to come. “First of all, it has to be spent sensibly,” says one of the Union’s military politicians.
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Because even a device that does not have to be developed from scratch often takes years from ordering to delivery. A reform in the procurement system can do little to change this in the short term, especially since it will probably take a while to take effect. Experts therefore consider it likely that in some years the special fund will not be sensibly exhausted, while in others it will be significantly overbooked.
Also because of such ambiguities, the Union increased the pressure on the government on Monday to present the concrete plan for the special fund. Party and faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) warned as a precaution in the BR that the Union had promised help with better equipment for the army, but no unrestricted support for an investment program. Group Vice Johann Wadephul (CDU) emphasized that there was no blank check.
The fact that the coalition had not even sought talks with the CDU and CSU, which the government absolutely needs for a constitutional change, was not only annoyed by CSU boss Markus Söder. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has at least promised a draft law by the middle of the week.
Phantom pain at the Union
Of course, behind the annoyance in the Union there are not always just legitimate questions about an unusual financing model, but also a certain phantom pain for one or the other. Security policy has long been a Union domain. Now the SPD and the Greens are suddenly becoming the Bundeswehr’s best friends.
The CSU man Florian Hahn, defense policy spokesman for the Union faction and part-time vice general secretary of his party, apparently rankled so much that he went to the “Bild” newspaper with the call for a missile shield based on the Israeli model for Berlin. Hahn himself must know that Israel’s “Iron Dome” anti-missile defense system is not suitable as a model – the system is not at all intended to protect against the missile arsenal of a superpower like Russia. Even in their own ranks, some shake their heads:
A defense that is several numbers smaller is actually due for renewal. The Meads system, intended as the successor to the Patriot air defense system for self-protection of the army, now has the makings of a never-ending story.
A number of projects on Lambrecht’s list have not yet been decided. This applies to the heavy transport helicopter – as a replacement for the decrepit CH-53 – as for the successor to the nuclear-capable Tornado jets. Only US machines come into question for both large machines. But the minister did not want to commit to specific machine types.
It is difficult for other reasons with the new assault rifle. Pre-predecessor Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) ordered the G-36 currently in use to be phased out. However, after seven years, a patent dispute between two providers is still blocking the new acquisition.
