$108 billion reform money for army insufficient, German Defence Minister
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Army will incur extra expenses of billions to replace weaponry to Ukraine, Boris Pistorius
BERLIN (Web Desk) - The country s new Defence Minister declared on Friday that the 100 billion euro ($108 billion) reform money for the German army proposed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz following Russia s invasion of Ukraine is insufficient.
Boris Pistorius, who was sworn in as the new military minister last week, told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily that "the 100 billion would not be enough."
Just three days after Russia s invasion, on February 27, 2022, Scholz announced the creation of the Bundeswehr Upgrade Fund.
"We incur new maintenance charges with every new system. Consequently, every new technology comes with new and increased operating costs "explained Pistorius.
Additionally, he questioned Germany s roughly 50 billion euro yearly defence spending.
I don t think this will be sufficient, he added.
According to Pistorius, the army will incur extra expenses of billions in order to replace the weaponry it is sending from its arsenal to Ukraine.
According to him, this new shopping list includes 28 000 combat helmets, 500 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, 5 Mars II multiple rocket launchers, and 14 self-propelled howitzers.
It will also be necessary to replace the 14 Leopard combat tanks that Berlin has committed to supply to Ukraine.
We need to have an effective armaments industry in Europe for the long term, according to Pistorius.
After years of persistent underfunding, Scholz pledged in September to make the nation s military the "best equipped" in Europe.
