In May, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) announced plans to make the Bundeswehr the “strongest conventional armed force in Europe.” Achieving this goal presents a dual challenge for the German government: addressing personnel shortages—partly through a new military service—and rapidly equipping the troops with modern technology.
According to Politico, Germany is developing a comprehensive armaments and procurement plan valued at up to €83 billion. Most of the orders are expected to go to European manufacturers, with only about eight per cent sourced from the United States. Between September 2025 and December 2026, the government plans to carry out 154 major defence procurements.
Europe’s reliance on American military equipment has grown sharply in recent years. Data from the Stockholm-based peace research institute Sipri shows that arms imports from the US to Europe, including Ukraine, more than tripled between 2020 and 2024 compared with the previous five-year period. For the first time in two decades, Europe became the largest recipient of US arms exports, with the share rising from 13 per cent in 2015-2019 to 35 per cent in 2020-2024.
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