A significant portion of these vehicles is expected to be delivered by 2029, with the total value of acquisitions estimated at €25 billion. This effort aims to equip seven new armoured and mechanised brigades within the Bundeswehr in response to updated NATO operational requirements announced at the alliance summit in The Hague.
Germany is said to have accepted new NATO capability goals, including expanding air defence and increasing troop numbers by approximately 60,000, bringing the total to over 250,000 personnel. The information reportedly comes from unnamed sources “familiar with the matter,” with concrete decisions anticipated in the coming months and potential government approval later this year.
Support from the ruling coalition for the plan is described as solid, reflected in a recent statement by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who pledged to transform the Bundeswehr into Europe’s strongest military force, excluding nuclear weapons. However, the feasibility of these figures has been questioned, given the current Bundeswehr inventory of just over 300 Leopard 2 tanks and around 400 Boxer vehicles, with 400 Pumas ordered to date.
Source: Bloomberg.
