Brandon J. Weichert
There is no way that Germany will be able to achieve its existing mobilization and rearmament goals as currently stated—but cheap and effective naval drones could provide an alternative.
With Russia committed to full-scale war in Ukraine and sizing up NATO territory in eastern Europe, Germany has committed itself for the first time in 80 years to total rearmament. Berlin’s rearmament push aims to meet the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) minimum two percent of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) defense spending target—though Berlin thinks it can get to 3.5 percent by 2029—and to modernize the Bundeswehr into Europe’s largest and most capable.
Indeed, Berlin plans to expand active-duty personnel to 240,000 by 2031. Its budget for Fiscal Year 2025 prioritizes advanced systems—and in particular focuses on naval enhancements, anticipating a showdown with the Kremlin in the Baltic Sea. Recent investments include an €800 million contract for Type 212A-class submarine upgrades by ThussenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), incorporating new combat systems and autonomy features, for instance.
All of this is laudable—at least on paper. But Germany has been one of the hardest hit victims of the Ukraine War. Following the mysterious destruction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline—since linked to Ukraine’s intelligence services, with NATO’s likely involvement in some capacity—Germany’s energy prices have soared, stagnating its economy. As a result, when Berlin makes noise about strengthening its military, it is using money that it does not really have. And its defense industrial base is in no shape to take on Russia’s—which, recall, can produce in three months what it takes all of NATO, including the United States, a year to build.
The one area, however, where Germany might enjoy some success is with the rapid development—and deployment of—unmanned systems.
The Gambler Maschineblau-FLANQ Development Deal
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