Armaments
Hensoldt boss demands a better procurement system for weapons
With the loosening of the debt brake, huge sums are said to flow in defense. The head of the armaments group Hensoldt expects a boost for the economy – and warns of Putin’s aggression.
The head of the armaments group Hensoldt, Oliver Dörre, calls for a fundamentally more new procurement system for significantly more defense spending. Germany and Europe should orientate themselves to the United States and are increasingly relying on the local procurement of armaments, said Dörre on Tuesday evening in the Frankfurt audit club ICFW. “We need a buy-European and a buy-German strategy”.
“The Balties feel Putin’s breath”
After the rejection of the turn of the times under Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) with a first special fund of 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr, Germany had to shop in the United States. A reduction in bureaucracy and a better procurement system for the planned immense armor expenditure in Germany are now necessary. “Trust between industry and the authorities must increase, both sides have some catching up to do,” said Dörre, who has been an officer to the Bundeswehr for more than 20 years.
The manager described the threat “by Russia and other hegemonic powers” as very concrete. “The threat of Russia is not getting smaller, but larger. The Balties feel Putin’s breath.”
Defense as a “gigantic economic stimulus program”
The loosening of the debt brake for more defense spending sees Dörre as a “Time Turning 2.0” The first special fund was good start -up financing. But the dependence on the United States is still great, Germany lacks independence in defense. More defense can also boost the economy. “Armor expenditure is a gigantic economic stimulus program.”
Radars for Ukraine and the Eurofighter
Hensoldt, based in the Taufkirchen near Munich, specializes in radars and sensors. Radars of Hensoldt are used in the Ukraine War to protect the population from Russian air strikes and are in the Kampfjet Eurofighter. The federal government holds a blocking minority of a good 25 percent of the MDAX group, which in 2024 generated sales of around 2.2 billion euros and once belonged to Airbus.
Europe is fragmented in arms issues, Dörre criticized. “The nations have to pull themselves together.” Customers wanted different languages in the software, various guarantees and equipment for orders to Hensoldt. Every standardization is welcome.
dpa
Source: Stern
