US President Trump has startled the Europeans. Tens of billions of euros should flow into the upgrade in the future. But the procurement has many pitfalls.
Russia has been waging his war against Ukraine for more than three years, but the Europeans have only really started the sudden departure of the United States from their allies. Now it should be quick to upgrade the threat from the East: Many countries have already increased their defense budgets. The Bundeswehr is also to be done without regard to the debt brake, and the EU wants to mobilize almost a trillion euro for armor.
The time of the armored masses of the Cold War is over, so practically all experts agree. “Fight -arms will continue to need a territory in the future,” says arms expert Michael Brzoska from the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University Hamburg T-online. “However, it was shown in the Ukraine War that tanks are very susceptible to attacks with drones.”
Also artillery guns such as the Panzerhaubitz 2000 will still need it in the future, but to a lesser extent, says Brzoska: “The Ukrainians have shown that the tasks of artillery are now increasingly being fulfilled by Kamikazedrohnen,” said the conflict researcher, who, at the end of 2023, with his study “Arsenale, Orders, Amigos” about the German procurement system.
In view of the growing importance of drones in warfare, Brzoska assumes that German companies such as Quantum Systems or Helsing will also drive automation on the battlefield. “Of course, this has a dark side, the worries that artificial intelligence somehow becomes self -employed,” said the researcher. “But you will be able to clarify that.”
Apart from fighter jets, drones, tanks and artillery shooters, Europe will primarily need air defense guns, rockets and marching missiles such as the Taurus to survive against Russia, says Michael Brzoska. The latter are particularly important in order to stop opposing associations: “When building up offensive rocket arsenals, however, you have to be careful that there are no opposing preventive measures,” the conflict researcher points out.
