Germany's armed forces have three years to purchase the necessary equipment so they can fight off a possible Russian attack on NATO territory, the head of the Office for Military Procurement, Annette Lehnigk-Emden, has said.
Defense spending has risen high on the political agenda since Russia launched its war in Ukraine in 2022, and following the United States' push for NATO member states to increase their commitment.
"Everything needed to be fully prepared to defend the state must be purchased by 2028," Lehnigk-Emden told the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
The defense chief, General Carsten Breuer, recently warned that Russia could be in a position to launch a "large-scale attack against NATO territory" in 2029.
He has said that there is a buildup of ammunition and tanks for a possible Russian attack on the Baltic countries, which are members of NATO.
Lehnigk-Emden said that the new government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz is enabling advancement in the military, allocating hundreds of billions of euros for defense.
She said that priority will be given to heavy equipment, such as Skyranger anti-aircraft tanks.
Merz has made rearmament a priority for his governing coalition, with the aim of transforming the German military into "the most powerful conventional army in Europe."
Rearmament also began during the previous government of Olaf Scholz, after Russia started the war.
US President Donald Trump has called this year for NATO members to increase defense spending from two to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Thursday that 50,000 to 60,000 new soldiers will be needed in the coming years to meet NATO's defense needs.
Last year, the German army had over 180,000 soldiers and has set a goal of increasing this figure to 203,000 by 2031./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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