Germany is preparing to spend approximately €19 billion on equipping its military with new uniforms and other personal equipment. And this is all calculated for an increase in strength to nearly 460,000 personnel by 2034, meaning almost half a million from the current 280,000.
Reuters published the relevant details based on obtained government documents. Overall, the program to increase personnel numbers will be called FASER, and it will be joined by the acquisition of wheeled armored vehicles for €7.5 billion through 2037.
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Defense Express notes here first that although journalists theorize these funds will go toward 3-5 thousand Boxers, this is most likely not the case, due to the small amount and the fact that plans to allocate up to €40 billion for this were previously mentioned. So it's quite likely that this concerns the Patria 6x6 under the European CAVS program.
Returning to the discussion about increasing personnel numbers, such a project requires creating appropriate infrastructure and, importantly, having equipment available. In fact, German observers have already criticized the new brigade deployed in Lithuania, which received equipment from storage.
€19 billion over 9-10 years means about €2 billion per year, which is actually not that much, especially considering low stocks after aid to Ukraine and years of ignoring the defense sector. This is also evident when you consider that in addition to uniforms and ammunition, more expensive items such as communications equipment and night vision devices are being purchased.
Regarding the latter, an example can be given: the Germans now plan to purchase 100,000 such devices for one billion euros. So overall, despite the seriousness of the announced sum, upon closer examination it makes more than enough sense, especially in the context of Western countries contracts, whose production is more expensive.
Overall, with the change of government, Germany is actively investing in various defense projects and preparing to invest colossal funds in the future. This involves 60 different contracts for as many as 5,000 Boxers, 3,500 Patria 6x6s, possibly several hundred Leopard 2s, and aviation.
Some of these deals have already been signed, such as €7 billion for 14 procurements, which included both the Eurofighter Typhoon in the latest version and armored vehicles with boats. However, this is only the beginning of a global rearmament planned for the next decade.
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