Berlin is preparing a massive €83 billion rearmament program that is almost entirely focused on European manufacturers.
According to a document obtained by Politico, only about 8% of the defense contracts will involve the purchase of American weapons.
This decision was a blow to Washington’s expectations. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on European allies to buy “huge amounts” of American weapons. In July, he even stated that the EU plans to buy “hundreds of billions” of dollars worth of weapons.
However, Germany has different priorities. The most expensive project is the €26 billion F-127 frigates being developed by the German concern TKMS. There is also €4 billion for new Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets in Tranche 5 and €1.9 billion for radar upgrades.
American companies will receive only separate contracts: €5.1 billion for Raytheon’s Patriot air defense system and €150 million for torpedoes for Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The total amount of purchases in the United States is about €6.8 billion.
Germany was one of the largest buyers of American weapons in 2020-2024, spending over $17 billion. In 2023, it even topped the list of importers of American weapons alongside Poland and Japan. Now the focus is shifting to European industry.
Other projects include €3.4 billion for Boxer armored vehicles, €3.8 billion for new wheeled tank fighters, €2.3 billion for the modernization of Taurus cruise missiles, and hundreds of millions for IRIS-T air defense systems, among others.
