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30 May 24. Moving from strategy to action on circular defence, EDA’s IF CEED conference charts way ahead on collaborative projects. Ensuring operational efficiency while safeguarding the environment was the focus of EDA’s largest conference on circular defence. The Incubation Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence (IF CEED) Third General Conference gathered over 170 experts from 23 European countries to further develop transnational initiatives exploiting circularity principles for defence. Participants focused on designing collaborative project ideas and strategies for their implementation.
The conference, organised under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU2024BE) and in partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), heard how moving forward with collaborative projects was now key to reduce the environmental impact of the armed forces while bringing operational benefits to military operations.
In his speech, EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý, said, “IF CEED plays a crucial role in advancing circularity in defence, striving to produce tangible collaborative outcomes. It has consistently aimed at win-win outcomes that would benefit both the EU’s operational defence needs and the green transition. EDA has been championing circular economy in defence due to its potential to enhance the operational effectiveness of Member States’ Armed Forces.”
Among others, the Belgian Minister of Defence, Ludivine Dedonder, the Director General of the DG ENV Florika Fink-Hooijer, the Director General Material Resources and National Armaments Director (NAD) of the Belgian Ministry of Defence Frédéric Goetynck, the NAT Vice-Presidents at the EESC Maria Nikolopoulou and Cillian Lohan, and the Head of Defence Sector, Security and Defence Policy of the European External Action Services, Mariya Dellevska have addressed the audience with their high-level key messages, inter alia on climate change and defence, the implementation of circular economy in defence, environmental remediation in Ukraine, and strategic autonomy as a pillar of the Critical Raw Materials Act.
While the EDA marks 20 years of promoting European Defence cooperation, this working event has gathered the largest defence community engaged in Circular Economy worldwide for both dedicated incubation sessions within the IF CEED “Project Circles” and wider cross-cutting panels among Ministries, industry, research-and-technology organisations, academia, and other private and public bodies/entities.
Using additive manufacturing to support in-mission repair, establishing secure exchange of data via digital passports, developing smart recycling routes for military textiles, streamlining procurement and maintenance processes: these are some of the themes addressed by IF CEED Programme Manager, Prof. Dr. Pierre Di Toro, and the numerous experts in their testimonies. Speakers have highlighted the achievements across IF CEED priority areas and provided key messages for the way forward.
About IF CEED
EDA’s 3rd Annual General Conference of the Incubation Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence (IF CEED), the EU programme co-funded by the European Commission’s DG Environment (DG ENV) under the EU LIFE 2021-2027. The conference has benefited of the collaboration with the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) – a joint initiative of the EESC and the DG ENV – and the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD).
(Source: EDA)
30 May 24. EU Defence Ministers approve reinforced mandate for EDA. Today, at the Steering Board of the European Defence Agency (EDA), the 27 EU Ministers of Defence approved the Agency’s 2024 Long-Term Review (LTR). As strategic guidance given to EDA, the 2024 LTR outlines five core tasks for the Agency with a stronger focus on supporting Member States through the full development cycle of military capabilities. Ministers agreed to increase the number of EDA’s core tasks from three to five, with dedicated taskings on aggregating demand towards joint procurement and enabling collaborative defence research, technology, and innovation. Ministers were also briefed on preliminary opportunities stemming from the 2024 Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) and marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Agency.
AN AGENCY FIT FOR THE FUTURE
Ministers of Defence endorsed an update of the Agency’s mandate to fully reflect the deteriorated security environment in Europe and the evolving role of the Agency within the EU defence landscape, marking 20 years since its establishment. Reflecting the dramatic geopolitical changes since 2017, when the last iteration of the LTR was approved, the 2024 LTR outlines how the Agency can support Ministries of Defence (MoDs) along all the capability development cycle, including limited off-the-shelf acquisitions, when Member States so decide.
The LTR also bolsters EDA role to voice MoDs’ joint positions at EU level and ensure the coherent alignment of current and future EU defence initiatives, policies, and legislation. The LTR also calls for the Agency to reinforce mutually beneficial cooperation with NATO through the conclusion of an Administrative Arrangement and fully leverage synergies with EU stakeholders to reflect defence needs.
Head of European Defence Agency and HR/VP, Josep Borrell said: “The European Defence Agency must have a more strategic role if we want to live up to the level of ambition that we have set for EU Defence in the Strategic Compass. The EU needs to develop defence capabilities to address the full range of threats we are facing. With a stronger and clearer vision, focused on capability development and the launch of concrete projects, the Agency can play a key role in building stronger and better equipped armed forces.”
EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý said: “This renewed and strengthened mandate ensures that Ministries of Defence have an Agency that is fit for the future. Ministers of Defence have endorsed a review that enhances the Agency’s ambitions, visibility, and support for Member States. With expanded tasks and a stronger intergovernmental voice, Ministers signal the Agency’s crucial role in bolstering EU defence capabilities.”
Ministers were also presented with a preliminary assessment on the possible actionable collaborative opportunities stemming from the third CARD cycle. This Steering Board was used as an opportunity to allow Ministers to provide early guidance to help sharpen and finalise the opportunities to be highlighted in the final CARD Report which will be presented in November.
Before the Steering Board was formally opened, Head of Agency, Josep Borrell, and EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý and Deputy Chief Executive, André Denk, marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Agency. Created in 2004, EDA has played a pivotal role in greater European defence cooperation, and made tangible contributions to EU defence planning, capabilities, training and innovations. (Source: EDA)
31 May 24. EDA sees clear skies for tactical air transport collaboration in Europe. With the support of the Belgian Air Force, the European Defence Agency (EDA) hosted the 6th Fixed Wing Operations and Training Working Group (FW O&T WG) and the European Air symposium. This event took place on 15th Wing Melsbroek Airbase, Brussels, Belgium, from 28 to 30 May 2024. The first two days were dedicated to tactical air transport stakeholders, ranging from operational units of EU Member States and EU entities. The third day of the European Air Symposium occurred with the involvement of European industry representing air transport and unmanned aircraft systems.
During the first two days, the meeting gathered representatives of EU Member States and EU entities, such as the European Tactical Airlift Centre and the European Air Transport Command. One of the primary outcomes was agreeing on the processes and procedures which will help on information exchange amongst fixed wing users, as well as to stimulate cooperation at the operators’ level.
Overall, the discussion aimed at supporting optimised access to existing air platforms and developing advanced flight training. The meeting also provided an opportunity for sharing best practices/experiences and lessons learned from operations, and to continue improving collaboration, synergies, and interoperability in the field of air transport among EU Member States.
The final day of the European Air Symposium was dedicated to the European Air Industry. This was a major opportunity for the industry to deliver briefings and update the attendees on the state of play related to tactical air transport capabilities and short-term development. EDA opened the symposium to the UAS industry (Tactical Cargo UAS) which reflects the agency’s commitment to promoting awareness among operational units and exploring potential synergies, which will be further explored in future editions. (Source: EDA)
13 Jun 24. Germany, Denmark heading for closer cooperation in defence procurement. Germany and Denmark on Thursday signed a letter of intent to strengthen their military cooperation, as both countries consider further aligning their defence procurement in the face of what they perceive as an increasingly hostile Russia.
The neighbours, both straddling the North and the Baltic Seas, have been working closely together in the Baltic Sea, and Denmark is supporting with 125 million euros ($135.13 million) Germany’s immediate action initiative to supply Ukraine with desperately needed air defences.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Danish counterpart Troels Lund Poulsen signed the document in Brussels, on the sidelines of a two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers.
Both Germany and Denmark are working to procure Rheinmetall’s (RHMG.DE), opens new tab Skyranger to plug a gap in short-range defences that became apparent after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Berlin has ordered 18 Skyranger from Rheinmetall, with the turrets mounted on armoured Boxer vehicles, for some 600 million euros, with an option for 30 more, in a move to start replacing its long-retired Gepard tanks that are enjoying a comeback in Ukraine.
The vehicles will be armed with a 30mm air defence canon and Stinger missiles.
Denmark plans to procure the Skyranger mounted on the Piranha 5 made by General Dynamics (GD.N), opens new tab, after it began taking delivery of the vehicles in 2019.
Short-range air defence systems are meant to protect troops on the tactical level, for example during deployment operations or while they are on the move, against missile and drone attacks as well as low-flying aircraft.
They can destroy targets at short ranges starting from three kilometres and very short ranges below that where the threat is posed mainly by small drones.
The Skyranger is one element of Berlin’s European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), now grouping 21 allies, aimed at boosting ground-based air defence in Europe. (Source: Reuters)
11 Jun 24. Tory manifesto calls for UK to be “largest European defence exporter.”
GlobalData intelligence suggests that the Conservatives will have great difficulty exceeding defence export value beyond that of Germany and France. In a brief sentence pledging to improve productivity, almost hidden within their new 80-page manifesto, the Conservatives have set a new target for the UK to become “the largest defence exporter in Europe by 2030.”
British Prime Minister and leader of the Party, Rishi Sunak, released his plan for the country on 11 June 2024, in the run-up to the UK general election due to take place on 4 July.
Supplanted by promises made in the weeks before the release of the manifesto – such as their commitment to reaching 2.5% GDP share on defence spending and instituting national service – the Tories have alluded to the critical topic of defence production.
Since the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian war more than two years ago, Europe has been responding to a changed world by restructuring industry on a war footing and producing weapon systems on a scale not seen since the Cold War.
However, this short, stand-alone pledge to achieve leading figures for exports across the continent by the end of the decade seems vague and uncertain.
European defence export figures
A leading intelligence consultancy, GlobalData, indicates that the UK’s defence export value is currently worth $11.7bn (£9.18bn).
It should be noted that this figure represents what has been built, or has left the country, and is spread out over the period of a contract’s execution.
In 2016, the UK’s defence export value was worth $1.01bn; then $1.76bn; $2.3bn; $1.02bn; $2.07bn; $964m; $1.05bn; and $1.4bn in the following years.
In Europe, the only real competition would come from Germany, whose export value is currently worth $20.1bn, and France, worth $31.8bn.
Germany’s year-on-year exports registered between $1.4bn and $4.2bn, while France’s figure came between $2.2bn and $6.5bn in the same forecast period.
Currently, military fixed-wing aircraft make up 61% of the UK’s defence exports, followed by missile defence at 18% and naval vessels worth 11.1%; Britain may need to diversify its priorities on an industrial level if it is to make gains across land and sea systems.
UK Defence continues to struggle with enduring issues
The UK Ministry of Defence have faced enduring difficulties in their 14-year tenure that the manifesto is not quick to address besides its creation of the Integrated Procurement Model, which is deisgned to more efficiently procure defence systems off-the-shelf.
GlobalData Defence Analyst touched on these problems when he explained:
“Any conversation about the overall budget that does not also involve what to do about wasteful procurement and spending, tangible goals for vehicle fleet size numbers, and of course the recruitment and retention issue is not a substantial conversation, sadly.”(Source: army-technology.com)
11 Jun 24. Tories’ iron resolve will keep Britain safe, Sunak says at launch of party manifesto. Only the Conservatives can be trusted to keep Britain safe, Rishi Sunak has said at the launch of the party’s general election manifesto.
Mr Sunak was speaking at Silverstone as he announced the Tories’ ambitions if they win the election, accompanied by the slogan ‘Clear Plan, Bold Action, Secure Future’.
The PM did not take long to address the issue of defence in his speech, and started by claiming the Conservatives “know that security is essential for success”.
“That’s why we’re raising defence investment to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 to deal with the increasingly uncertain world that we live in,” he said.
“This is the biggest sustained increase in the defence budget since the end of the Cold War and one that [Labour leader] Keir Starmer will not match.
“And when there is a war in Europe, turmoil in the Middle East, China flexing its muscles in the South China Sea, we’re in a world of increasing threats and we must show our enemies that this country, with our allies, will stand strong.”
Mr Sunak said the “axis of authoritarian states” – Russia, China, Iran and North Korea – need to know they cannot “destabilise our world”.
“Now is the time for bold action, not an uncertain Keir Starmer as our prime minister,” Mr Sunak said.
“Now our increase in defence investment will not only fire up our defence industrial base, creating good jobs here at home from Barrow to Lossiemouth, but allow us to stand up for our interests, deter our enemies and defend our values.”
But what are the Conservatives aiming to do?
A new National Service
The Conservative manifesto said the party would “reinvent National Service” to allow young people to both learn life skills and “build a stronger national culture”.
It said the new format would be compulsory, but 18-year-olds would be given a number of choices which would include one option of a year-long, full-time placement in the military or cyber defence.
The Tories said this would be “competitive and paid”, to allow the Armed Forces to “recruit and train the brightest and the best”. (Source: forces.net)
10 Jun 24. Norway and EU establish closer ties and dialogue on defence.
The Nordic nation will be invited to select EU ministerial meetings, while the two partners establish a formal annual security dialogue.
Leaders from Norway and the European Union (EU) signed a new defence and security partnership that reaffirms their already well-established co-operation.
Signed on 6 June 2024, Norway’s Minister of Defence Bjorn Arild Gram, Foreign Affairs Minister Espen Barth Eide and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in Brussels, the agreement was made in Belgium during the second annual Schuman Security and Defence Forum.
It builds on Norway’s long-standing participation in numerous EU security initiatives, including the European Defence Agency and its PESCO project on military mobility; Norwegian funding and personnel toward the EU’s training of Ukraine’s armed forces; as well as Norway’s contributions to ramping up artillery ammunition capacity (ASAP).
Citing a desire to establish a partnership that truly “complements Nato,” Gram’s objective implies a close and composite security ecosystem intermingling EU and Nato structures.
What’s new?
Under the new rules of the bilateral relationship, the EU will be able to invite Norway to its ministerial meetings while also establishing a new annual defence and security dialogue.
These changes essentially form closer ties on the political level, allowing both sides to coordinate and interoperate collectively in response to crises management and military escalation – a necessity since the outset of the war in Ukraine more than two years ago.
However, neither side has disclosed the specific areas of cooperation beyond the broadest possible terms: “crisis management, the defence industry, space activities, critical infrastructure and hybrid threats.”
Reaching Europe’s defence industrial ambitions
Bringing Norway further into the EU fold, may also help the EU achieve its new defence industrial ambitions outlined in its inaugural European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP).
Responding to a saturation of US-manufactured defence equipment in a starving European market after 20 years of complacency, the new strategy will help to cultivate the continent’s defence market attractiveness.
One objective is to ensure that by 2030 the value of intra-EU defence trade represents at least 35% of the value of the EU defence market. While GlobalData intelligence suggests that the missile and missile defence sector represents the highest value worldwide in Europe following its munitions build-up over the past two years, it is still behind in other areas. A policy of inclusion to its bordering neighbours may help to expand continental offerings in the global defence market. (Source: army-technology.com)
11 Jun 24. Infighting over budget imperils Germany’s defence upgrade.
- Growing doubt over German resolve to see through ‘Zeitenwende’
- Budget squeeze may foil effort to reach NATO target longer-term
- Challenge may be left for tackling after 2025 election
- Risky times amid tensions with Russia, spectre of Trump return
Budget infighting within Germany’s governing coalition is jeopardising its plan to meet defence commitments to Western allies even as tensions with Russia rise and a NATO-sceptic Donald Trump bids for a second term as U.S. president.
Since the 1990s Germany has thrown off its post-World War Two aversion to military action. But it has faced criticism – not least from Trump in his first term – for repeatedly missing a NATO target of spending 2% of its economic output on defence.
Days after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz surprised allies by announcing a “Zeitenwende” – German for a historic turning point – with a €100bn ($107bn) special fund to bring the military back up to speed.
But while top-ups from that fund will allow Berlin to meet the 2% target over the next three years for the first time since the end of the Cold War in 1990, there is uncertainty about how to achieve the spending goal when the fund is exhausted in 2028.
Moreover, Germany’s military top brass warns the Bundeswehr needs additional funds right now to be combat-ready in five years, when they believe Russia will be capable of attacking NATO member-state territory.
With Europe’s largest economy at just over 4trn euros in gross domestic product, the current defence budget of 52bn euros is some 28bn below the NATO target.
“We have to remember that during the Cold War, under chancellors Adenauer, Brandt and many others, Germany spent more than 3% of GDP on defence,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told German public broadcaster NDR last week.
France weighs future after far-right surge in EU vote
He said higher defence spending by Europe’s biggest economy now makes a big difference for the alliance.
“So we have done it before, not because we enjoy investing in defence, but because it is necessary to secure peace.”
Germany’s fractious coalition of left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD), pro-business liberals and ecologist Greens are struggling to find the money to comply with the NATO target, given self-imposed rules that limit the amount of state borrowing they can take on.
“There’s a broader strategic question about the long-term trajectory of defence spending in Germany and how compatible or not that is with the country’s institutional fiscal rules,” said Mujtaba Rahman, Eurasia Group managing director for Europe.
PASSING THE BUCK
For now, Scholz has sided with liberal Finance Minister Christian Lindner in rejecting calls by Defence Minister and SPD ally Boris Pistorius to increase annual defence spending next year by 6.7 bn euros to initiate more investment – in effect, postponing a solution till after the 2025 election.
“The next government will be elected in 2025 and will have to provide an answer to then continue the Zeitenwende,” said Marcel Schlepper, military expert at the Ifo institute.
Aside from the political uncertainty that creates, each year the annual spending upgrade is delayed, the sharper the uplift will ultimately have to be to meet the 2% target: Projections show that shortfall will have reached 40 bn euros by 2028.
Andreas Schwarz, an SPD member of parliament’s budget committee, said that without extra funding Pistorius would be left next year with a relatively meagre 500 m euros for investments in defence procurement.
“He needs the 6.7 bn euros to keep investing, to encourage the defence industry to ramp up capacities and deliver to the troops what they urgently need,” he noted, adding that some of the military’s most pressing purchases such as ammunition, air defences and rocket artillery might be affected.
The country’s arms makers, faced with constant calls to expand production capacities, are not pleased either.
CRUNCH TIME
Defence industry officials argue that Germany has saved hundreds of bns of euros since the Cold War by not meeting the NATO target, creating a need for greater investment now.
The defence industry association, headed by Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE), CEO Armin Papperger, reminded Scholz of his 2022 pledge to from now on reach the NATO goal.
“The current mid-term planning sees the defence budget frozen at 52bn euros for the coming years, a sum that in two years time already will only cover the Bundeswehr’s fixed costs and leave no space for additional purchases,” the association said in a statement last week.
It estimated a further 100 bn euros would be needed by 2028 to plug gaps in the military’s inventory, which include air defence systems, long-range missiles and ammunition.
For now, such a prospect appears dim.
A defence source told Reuters the chancellery had warned the defence ministry that it cannot expect to receive any fresh financial authorisations until 2028, a year reflected for the first time in the mid-term financial planning being worked on now together with the 2025 budget.
Instead, the chancellery suggested defence officials talk to arms makers and convince them to start producing weapons for the Bundeswehr at their own cost and without a contract, accepting that payment wouldn’t come until 2028, said the source – adding the idea was greeted with disbelief at the defence ministry.
A spokesperson for the defence ministry said she could neither confirm nor deny this information. A spokesperson from the chancellery said it was false.
One military source said army leaders regarded the outcome of the budget row as a litmus test of politicians’ commitment to a genuinely transformational “Zeitenwende”.
“We are at a crunch point,” said the source. “Either we get onto the autobahn and drive full speed, or we come to a standstill.” ($1 = 0.9301 euros) (Source: Reuters)
10 Jun 24. Lib Dems commit to 100,000 strong army in manifesto.
The Liberal Democrats have promised to reverse Tory cuts to British Army personnel, and to reach more than 100,000 regular troops over the long term. In their 2024 manifesto, the Liberal Democrats have announced they will reverse Conservative Government cuts to the Armed Forces and, in the same breath, pledged to increase regular troop numbers by more than 100,000.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, launched his party’s manifesto in London on 10 June 2024, ahead of the UK General Election due to take place on 4 July. In a stroke of political acknowledgement to the days of the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’, Davey has put forward his guarantees “For a Fair Deal” for Britain.
Since the end of the Cold War the size of the British Army has shrunk from what it once was, presenting a significantly reduced threat perception as the service pivoted toward a counter-insurgency force structure and performed global peacekeeping and humanitarian roles.
However, since the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian war more than two years ago, the force has faced overwhelming demands for military readiness.
Army levels under the Conservative Government
In 2015, the Conservative Government set a goal to increase British Army personnel to 82,000. However, this was scrapped in 2021, when the previous Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced that the Army would actually be reduced to 72,500 service people.
As of 1 January 2024, UK Government statistics indicate that there are 72,480 trained regular service people in the British Army. This fell from 75,770 people a year earlier.
Furthermore, in those 12 months (between 1 January and 31 December 2023) there was a decrease of 890, or 8% of the service, compared with the previous 12-month period.
The Lib Dem manifesto has also labelled Conservative cuts to the Army by 10,000 as “irresponsible” and “negligent.”
MoD funding and the ‘party of defence’
Despite this stagnant level of personnel over the last several years, more funding has been made available to the Ministry of Defence.
It is upon this basis that the incumbent Conservative Government has styled itself as the party of defence. When Wallace resigned in August last year he told the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that he was proud of making the Ministry of Defence more “modern [and] better funded.” He warned that “we must not return to the days where defence was viewed as a discretionary spend by government.”
Moreover, Sunak has also pledged that defence spending would reach 2.5% of GDP by 2030, having introduced a pledge in April to provide £75bn ($95.3bn) to defence over the next six years. Although, this figure has since been criticised as misleading, with some commentators stating that the figure will actually be a £20bn increase in real terms.
In addition, a new policy for national service was recently introduced by Sunak, perhaps to bolster this perception in the run-up to the election.
(Source: army-technology.com)
10 Jun 24. Far-right advances in EU election, France calls snap national vote.
- Summary
- Far-right parties perform strongly in Europe vote
- France’s President Macron calls national poll after defeat
- EU chief von der Leyen pledges “bastion against extremes”
Gains by the far-right in voting for the European Parliament on Sunday prompted a bruised French President Emmanuel Macron to call a snap national election and added uncertainty to Europe’s future political direction.
While the centre, liberal and Socialist parties were set to retain a majority in the 720-seat parliament, the vote dealt a domestic blow to the leaders of both France and Germany, raising questions about how the European Union’s major powers can drive policy in the bloc.
Making a risky gamble to try to reestablish his authority, Macron called a parliamentary election, with the first round on June 30.
Like Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also endured a painful night where his Social Democrats scored their worst result ever, suffering at the hands of the mainstream conservatives and hard right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saw her position strengthened by her arch-conservative Brothers of Italy group winning the most votes, exit polls showed.
A rightwards shift inside the European Parliament may make it tougher to pass new legislation that might be needed to respond to security challenges, the impact of climate change or industrial competition from China and the United States.
However, exactly how much clout the euro-sceptic nationalist parties will wield will depend on their ability to overcome their differences and work together. They are currently split between two different families, and some parties and lawmakers for now lie outside these groupings.
(Source: Reuters)
07 Jun 24. Germany multiplies 155mm artillery round contract several times. Germany will purchase 155mm artillery shells and 1500 military trucks following new Budget Committee decisions.
The Budget Committee of the German Bundestag agreed on 5 June 2024, to purchase 1,515 new military trucks worth €920m ($1bn) in total, and an order of 155mm artillery ammunition worth €880m ($959m).
Both orders are part of wider initiatives from the German government, and both are being funded through the Bundeswher special fund, though some funding for the purchase of 155mm ammunition will also come from the regular defence budget.
The purchase of new military trucks is a part of a framework agreement with the manufacturer to purchase a total of 4,000 protected or unprotected trucks, with 1,008 trucks already delivered.
The purchase of 155mm ammunition is part of a framework agreement with an armaments company, but in addition to agreeing to purchase the latest order, the framework was renegotiated the call-off quantity, so that within the agreement the uppermost quantity of ammunition Germany may buy has been multiplied several times, signalling that Germany intends to strengthen its defence capabilities going into the future.
The order of military trucks, due to be delivered by the end of 2024, includes 1,250 protected trucks and 265 unprotected trucks, capable of carrying a payload of up to 15 tons. The purchase will also include 500 interchangeable loading platforms and 500 tarpaulin structures.
The 155mm ammunition, purchased in part to support to Ukraine, but also to replenish German stocks, is intended to be fired by armoured howitzers. Germany has provided 22 of these platforms to Ukraine from its own stocks. The release from Germany states that production of 155mm artillery shells will be completed in Germany in the future, so as to strengthen its defence capability and reduce external dependencies.
The new 155mm framework that Germany has set up contains clauses for other nations to join, building on collective procurement to negotiate better terms of supply. Denmark, Estonia and Netherlands are already contracting partners in an EU initiative that has purchased 68,000 rounds from a French armaments company in December 2023. (Source: army-technology.com)
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