Germany is preparing to announce a wave of multi-billion-euro arms orders as part of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's strategy to build the most powerful conventional army in Europe. According to two sources familiar with the plans, Berlin will buy 20 Eurofighter fighter jets, up to 3,000 Boxer armored vehicles and up to 3,500 Patria infantry fighting vehicles, Reuters reports.
The planned deliveries are part of Germany's efforts to reduce its dependence on the United States, which is seen as an increasingly unpredictable ally, and to take greater responsibility for the continent's security. The new equipment is expected to be delivered over the next decade.
The Eurofighter fighter order is estimated to be worth between 4 and 5 billion euros, while the Boxer aircraft, produced by the KNDS consortium and Germany’s Rheinmetall, are worth around 10 billion euros. The deal for the Finnish Patria combat aircraft is estimated at around 7 billion euros.
The German Defense Ministry is also planning new orders for IRIS-T air defense systems and hundreds of SkyRanger anti-drone platforms, although the financial parameters of these orders have not yet been finalized.
Earlier this year, Chancellor Merz secured parliamentary support for excluding defense spending from constitutional debt limits, paving the way for a radical increase in the military budget. In 2026, the regular defense budget will rise to around 83 billion euros — 20 billion more than in 2025.
Merz has pledged that Germany will reach NATO's new spending target of 3.5% of GDP by 2029 - an ambition that puts the country ahead of most allies in the alliance. This comes amid heavy criticism of Germany's long-standing underestimation of its defense readiness. Just hours after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the commander of the Bundeswehr admitted that the army was "almost empty-handed".
Berlin now aims not only to catch up but also to become a new military pillar of European security.