The German government's efforts to modernize and expand its military, the Bundeswehr, is in danger of being derailed by the country's slow procurement processes, according to critics.
The wars in Ukraine and Iran have shown that drones costing just tens of thousands can be an effective against weapons that devoured countless millions to develop and manufacture. Ukrainian air defenses, for example, have shown that they are able to hold their own against Russian attacks despite the fact that the Ukraine air force has only a fraction of the number of fighter jets and bombers.
Meanwhile, Germany has massively boosted its defense spending in the past few years. On top of the €100 billion ($114 billion) "special fund" announced in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the state has been rapidly raising its regular defense spending: From €62.4 billion in 2025 to €82.7 billion in 2026, with plans to raise that to €152 billion by 2029.
But critics are wondering whether these vast sums are being spent in the best way, not least since the FCAS Franco-German fighter jet, which cost over €100 billion, was scrapped in June.
Defense analyst Nico Lange, who once worked for the German Defense Ministry, gave a scathing verdict on the current strategy. "It's the same dysfunctional system as before. They're just pouring significantly more money into it," he told the news portal Web.de. "The point is: Unless you actually change the structures of military planning and procurement, nothing better will come of it."
