Budget committee wants to secure jobs with arms deal
The Bundeswehr's depots are empty, complain specialist politicians in connection with weapons requested from Kiev. The Bundestag Budget Committee wants to change this and is ordering weapons and ammunition on a grand scale. This will also secure jobs. One flying object in particular is causing criticism.
The Bundestag Budget Committee has given the green light for several major armaments projects worth more than six billion euros. These include the procurement of so-called light combat helicopters and guided missiles for air defense, as was reported at the meeting of the specialist politicians.
A framework agreement for the production and delivery of up to 350,000 pieces of 155 millimeter caliber artillery ammunition was also discussed by the committee. A total of eight projects were submitted, including crypto telephones, Sonix underwater launching systems (ULD) and oversnow vehicles.
The largest item is the production and delivery of 500 guided missiles for the Patriot air defense system with a contract value of around three billion euros. A smaller project in comparison is the re-procurement of missiles for the IRIS-T air defense system supplied to Ukraine. A total volume of around 2.6 billion euros is planned for the procurement of up to 82 light combat helicopters.
Federal Audit Office criticizes helicopters
The news portal "Business Insider" had reported the previous day that the German Federal Audit Office had criticized the combat helicopter deal with Airbus. This was directed against the financing and criticized limitations of the helicopters in terms of combat capability, endurance, assertiveness, endurance and protection of own forces.
FDP budget holder Karsten Klein stated that the committee's decision to procure the light combat helicopter and to resume production of the Patriot GEM-T missiles in Germany would strengthen the German economy in the long term and secure jobs. "This is particularly good news for Bavaria as an industrial location, as the helicopter will be built in Donauwörth and the Patriot will be manufactured in Schrobenhausen," said Klein.
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The Federal Audit Office has raised concerns about the combat capability, endurance, assertiveness, and protection of German forces in the procured combat helicopters, leading to criticism. Despite this, the Bundestag Budget Committee is proceeding with the acquisition of weapons, including 82 light combat helicopters, as part of an attack on Ukraine's defense line, which requires armor and ammunition, overseen by the Federal Audit Office.
Source: www.ntv.de
