German defence procurement chief sees boom in equipment orders

5/6/2023 12:30

        Germany's orders for new military equipment should see a sharp increase this year, after long-standing criticism that procedures for the purchase of weapons and equipment were ineffective and taking far too long, its procurement chief was quoted saying on Monday.
        
        Germany has been working on accelerating its arms procurement and ramping up ammunition supplies in the long term after a year of arms donations to Ukraine depleted German military stocks.
        
        Progress in plugging the gaps has, however, been sluggish despite a 100 billion euro ($107 billion) special fund set up by the government last year to pay for new weapons.
        
        In an attempt to solve the problem, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in March replaced the head of the country's military procurement agency, naming Annette Lehnigk-Emden as a renowned expert expected to tackle problems in a dynamic and targeted manner.