Zeitenwende In Facts And Figures - A List Of German Arms Acquisitions

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

 

In a special address to the Bundestag on the 27th of February 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a Zeitenwende (meaning: turning point) in the history of Europe. In his speech, Scholz reaffirmed Germany's commitment to spending 2% of its GDP on defence in 2024. Additionally, the German government set up a €100 billion fund for immediate investments in its military. Nonetheless, those expecting the return to an army boasting thousands of tanks and hundreds of combat aircraft are likely to find their expectations unfulfilled. Considering the serious weakening of Russia's Armed Forces and the significant military investments made by frontline NATO member states like Poland and Romania, it is debatable whether the acquisition of hundreds of additional tanks would be the best approach to strengthen NATO's deterrence in the first place. Instead, investments into weapons systems that other EU states lack, and bolstering the strength of other NATO member states (and Ukraine) through equipment donations, offer an alternative path for Germany to get the most bang for its euro.

This article attempts to list ongoing equipment acquisitions by the German Army, Air Force and Navy. This list focuses on heavy weaponry and doesn't include ATGMs, MANPADS, radars, mini-UAVs, trucks and ammunition. When deemed appropriate, the future quantity of the equipment category is given. This number includes both future equipment acquisitions as well as equipment already in service. This list is updated as new acquisitions are reported.

Army - Heer

Tanks (Future Quantity: 328)

• 18 Leopard 2A8s [To be delivered between 2026 and 2027] (To supplement 310 Leopard 2A6(Ms)/A7s)
• Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) Programme [To enter service from the mid-2030s onwards] (To eventually replace the Leopard 2)
  

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (Future Quantity: ~600)

• 50 Puma S1s [To be delivered between 2025 and 2027] (To supplement 350 Puma IFVs)
• 179 Puma S1s [Planned Acquistion] (To eventually replace the Marder fleet)
• Mid-Life Update Upgrade Of 143 Pumas To S1 Standard With A New Advanced Camera System, Radio Equipment And MELLS ATGMs [To be completed by 2029]
• Upgrade of Some 200 Marders With New Engines, Transmission, Tracks, (Thermal) Cameras and MELLS ATGMs [To be completed in the mid-to-late 2020s]

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

• 128 Boxer Waffenträgers [To be delivered from 2025 onwards] (To replace the Wiesel 1 in non-airborne infantry units)
• GSD LuWa Air-Transportable Waffenträgers [Planned Acquisition] (To replace the Wiesel 1 in airborne infantry units)
• 367(+233 As Option) BVS10 Mk II Tracked Articulated Amphibious All-Terrain Carriers In Five Configurations [To be delivered from 2024 onwards] (Will replace 283 BV 206S')

 

Specialist Armoured Vehicles

• 81 Boxer Joint Fire Support Teams (JFST) Vehicles [To be delivered between 2024 and 2031]
• 80 Eagle V 6x6 Armoured Ambulances [To be delivered between 2023 and 2024]
• Large Numbers Of Patria 6x6s For Use In The APC, Command And Specialist Roles [Planned Acquisition]

Light Strike Vehicles

• 80 Defenture Mammoths (AGF 2s) [To be delivered between 2024 and 2025]
• 1004 Caracal Air Mobile Vehicles [To be delivered from 2025 onwards]

Artillery And Multiple Rocket Launchers (Future Quantity: 228 SPGs And ~80 MRLs)

• 22(+6 As Option) 155mm PzH 2000s SPGs [To be delivered from 2025 onwards] (To supplement 86 PzH 2000s already in service)
• Mid-Life Update Of 86 PzH 2000s With New Electronics, Climate Control System, Night Vision, Roof Armour And An Improved Munition Loading System [To be completed by 2028/2029]
• Programme To Acquire 120 Wheeled SPGs [Planned Acquisition] [Candidates: RCH-155 and ATI]
• Programme To Acquire New MLRS [Planned Acquisition] [Candidates: Euro PULS and Euro HIMARS] (Will replace 35 MARS II MLRS. To be equipped with 500km-ranged JFS-M GLCMs)
  

Air Defence Systems (Future Quantity: 30 SPAAGs And 32 SAM Launchers)

• Up To 30 Skyranger 30 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns [To be delivered throughout the mid-to-late 2020s] (Will replace the Gepard SPAAG capability lost in 2012)
  
• 4 IRIS-T SLS Fire Units For A Total Of 32 Launchers [Planned Acquisition] [Candidates: Boxer-Based and Eagle 6x6-Based Launchers] (Will replace the Roland SAM system capability lost in 2005)

Electronic Warfare Systems

• Programme To Acquire Long-Range Electronic Warfare Systems [Planned Acquisition]
  

Armoured Engineering Vehicles

• 24 Leguan Bridgelayers [To be delivered between 2023 and 2028] (Will supplement 7 Leguans already in service)
  
• 44 Kodiak Armoured Engineering Vehicles [To be delivered between 2026 and 2029]

Helicopters

• 24 Airbus H145M Light Attack Helicopters [To be delivered from 2027 onwards] (Will replace the BO-105P PAH-1A1 anti-tank helicopter capability lost in 2016. Will supplement 51 Eurocopter Tigers)
• Programme To Acquire Attack Helicopters [Planned Acquisition] [Candidates: AH-64E Apache, AH-1Z Viper and AW249] (Will replace 51 Eurocopter Tigers)
• 58 Airbus H145M Utility Helicopters [To be delivered from 2027 onwards]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

• 45 Luna NG Surveillance UAVs [To be delivered by the mid-2020s] (Will supplement 20 Luna NGs already in service. Will eventually replace the LUNA and KZO)

 

Trains

• 3 ICE 3neo High-Speed Hospital Trains [To be delivered in 2025]

 

Air Force - Luftwaffe

Fighter Aircraft (Future Quantity: ~185)

• 38 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4s [To be delivered in the late 2020s] (Will replace 31 Eurofighter Tranche 1s)
• 35 F-35As [To be delivered from 2026 onwards] (Will replace 68 Tornado IDS'. Carrier of B61-12 nuclear bombs)
• Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Programme [To enter service from ~2040 onwards] (To eventually replace the Eurofighter Typhoon)

 

SEAD Aircraft (Future Quantity: 15)

• 15 Eurofighter Typhoon ECRs [To be delivered in the late 2020s] (Will replace 21 Tornado ECRs)

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (Future Quantity: 21)

• 5 Heron TPs [Conversion Ongoing] (Based in Israel)
  
• 21 Eurodrones [To be delivered from the early 2030s onwards] (To replace the 5 Heron TPs)
  

Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) And ISR Aircraft (Future Quantity: 3)

• 3 Highly Modified Bombardier Global 6000 'PEGASUS' [To become operational in 2028]

Transport And Tanker Aircraft (Future Quantity: 50 (Excluding VIP Aircraft))

• 16 Airbus A400M Transport (And Tanker) Aircraft [Delivery Ongoing] (Will supplement 37 A400Ms already in service)
• 5 Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs) [Delivery Ongoing] (Part of the Multinational MRTT Unit. Will supplement 5 A330 MRTTs already in service with member states)
  
• 3 KC-130J Super Hercules Tanker Transport Aircraft [To be delivered in 2024]

 

Transport Helicopters (Future Quantity: 75)

• 60 CH-47F Block II Transport Helicopters [To be delivered beween 2027 and 2033] (Will replace 66 Sikorsky CH-53Gs)

Reconnaissance Satellites (Future Quantity: 3)

• 2 SARah Reconnaissance Satellites [Will be delivered in the mid-2020s] (Will supplement 1 SARah satellite already in space)

 

Air Defence Systems (Future Quantity: 1 Arrow 3 ABM System, 11 Patriot Batteries, 6 IRIS-T SLM Systems)

• 1 Arrow 3 Anti-Ballistic Missile System [Will be delivered in 2025]
• 6 IRIS-T SLM Systems For A Total Of 18 Launchers [To be delivered in the mid-to-late 2020s]

Navy - Deutsche Marine

 Frigates (Future Quantity: 15)

• 6 F126 Multi-Purpose Frigates [Will be delivered from 2027 onwards] (Will replace 4 F123 Brandenburg-class frigates)
• 6 F127 Air Defence Frigates [Will be delivered from 2033 onwards] (Will replace 3 F124 Sachsen-class frigates)

Corvettes (Future Quantity: 6)

• 5 Braunschweig-Class Batch 2 Corvettes [Will be delivered from 2025 onwards] (Will replace 5 Braunschweig-class Batch 1s)
• 1 Braunschweig-Class Batch 3 Corvette [Planned Acquisition] (Will supplement 5 Braunschweig-class Batch 2s)

 

Small Arsenal Ships (Future Quantity: Up To 18)

• Up To 18 Future Combat Surface Systems (FCSS) [Planned Acquisition]

 

Attack Submarines (Future Quantity: 6 To 9)

• 6 To 9 Type 212CD Class Attack Submarines [Will be delivered from 2032 onwards] (Will replace 6 Type 212-class submarines)

Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (Future Quantity: Up To 6)

• Up To 6 Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles [Planned Acquisition] (Will supplement 6 to 9 Type 212CD-class submarines)

 

Signal And Electronic Intelligence Ships (Future Quantity: 3)

• 3 Type 424-Class' [Will be delivered from 2027 onwards] (Will replace 3 Oste-class SIGINT/ELINT ships)

Combat Support Ships (Future Quantity: 12)

• 3 Type 707-Class Replenishment Oilers [To be delivered from 2026 onwards] (Will replace 2 Type 704 Rhön-class replenishment oilers)
• 6 Programme To Acquire 6 Multi-Purpose Replenishment Ships [Planned Acquisition] (Will replace 6 Type 404 Elbe-class replenishment ships)

 

Minehunters (Quantity: Up To 12)

• 6 Programme To Acquire Up To 12 Minehunters [To be delivered from the late 2020s onwards] (Will replace 2 Ensdorf-class and 10 Frankenthal-class minehunters. Will be equipped with unmanned USVs for mine-clearing)

Fast Assault Craft (Future Quantity: 15)

• Programme To Acquire 15 Fast Assault Craft [Planned Acquisition] [Candidates: CB90 and Watercat M18 AMC]

 

Maritime Patrol And Reconnaissance Aircraft (Future Quantity: 8)

• 8 Boeing P-8 Poseidons [To be delivered from 2024 onwards] (Will replace 8 Lockheed P-3 Orions)

 

Unmanned Maritime Patrol And Reconnaissance Aircraft (Future Quantity: 6)

• Programme To Acquire 6 Unmanned Maritime Patrol And Reconnaissance Aircraft [Planned Acquisition] (Will supplement 8 Boeing P-8 Poseidons)
  

 

Helicopters (Future Quantity: 49)

• 31 NHI NH90 Sea Tigers [To be delivered from 2025 onwards] (Will replace 21 Westland Lynx Mk.88s)

 

Unmanned Helicopters

• Up To 22 UMS Skeldar V-200 Sea Falcons [Delivery Ongoing]

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