February 6, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
COLOGNE, Germany — Germany may be unable to deliver on its pledge to increase the defense budget due to smaller-than-expected economic growth, according to a new Finance Ministry analysis.
The projections peg the military budget to be several billion euros short of the trajectory to meet the government's goal of reaching 1.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2024. Analysts even see the current spending curve unable to sustain 1.35 percent in the years ahead.
NATO members in 2014 agreed to boost their defense spending to 2 percent of GDP within 10 years.
Germany's defense budget is roughly €43 billion (U.S. $49 billion) for 2019, or about 1.2 percent of GDP. That is a boost of €4 billion over the previous year.
Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen on Monday said Germany remains committed to hitting the self-declared 1.5 percent target in 2024. She portrayed the Finance Ministry's analysis as a mere first step toward a budget proposal negotiated by Cabinet secretaries. The government is expected to unveil such a plan in late March.
The Trump administration has often criticized Germany for underspending on defense, arguing Berlin rides on American coattails when it comes to security. News that the country's spending target is at risk is sure to embolden the narrative in Washington that Europe is somehow taking advantage of the United States. It could weaken the negotiating position of German government delegates at two high-profile events in mid-February: a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, and the Munich Security Conference.
The Finance Ministry's economic outlook estimates that agencies will have to reconcile new spending priorities within their previously established budget targets. That means no fresh money would become available for the government's push on artificial intelligence, for example, according to the document.
April 2, 2024 | International, Land
Rheinmetall delivers 22 weapon systems L52 of 155 mm calibre and just as many chassis for the PzH 2000 for the German Bundeswehr.
October 9, 2019 | International, Aerospace
Boeing delivered nine KC-46A tankers to the U.S. Air Force in the third quarter and 21 overall so far this year despite a series of quality control issues and a newly discovered design flaw, the company announced on Oct. 8. The Air Force could receive a total of 30 KC-46As this year if Boeing matches third-quarter deliveries during the last three months of 2019. That delivery total still falls short of Boeing's original plan to deliver at least 36 aircraft this year, but it is possible the company could deliver aircraft at an even faster rate in the fourth quarter. The Air Force had planned to receive KC-46As at an annual rate of 15 aircraft, but an impasse over assigning financial responsibility for fixing two design flaws delayed first delivery more than two years. As negotiations continued, Boeing built up a large backlog of undelivered KC-46As. The two sides finally came to an agreement on Jan. 29, allowing Boeing to deliver the first aircraft by the end of that month. Boeing agreed to pay for a redesign of the remote vision system (RVS), which is still being defined. The Air Force funded the redesign of a new actuator for the KC-46A refueling boom. The service is also withholding 20% of the payment for each aircraft until the RVS redesign is complete. In the meantime, the Air Force has restricted the KC-46A fleet from carrying cargo and passengers after finding a new design flaw during initial operational test and evaluation. The devices that hold cargo and passenger seats in place became unlocked in flight. https://aviationweek.com/defense/usaf-receives-nine-kc-46as-third-quarter
April 28, 2023 | International, Aerospace
The U.S. Department of Defense said on Friday it has awarded a $7.8 billion contract modification for 126 F-35 multi-role aircraft to weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp .