German lawmakers have approved orders for about 2.5 billion euros in weapons and equipment for the Bundeswehr ahead of snap parliamentary elections on February 23, Bloomberg reported, citing its sources.
According to them, the purchases include a new communications system for the German armed forces worth 1.8 billion euros, infantry weapons worth 417 million euros, anti-tank weapons and a weapons station worth about 100 million euros.
The agency reports that the orders are part of a rearmament program initiated by the government of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the start of the Ukrainian conflict.
According to Bloomberg, the Bundestag's budget committee also approved the provision of state guarantees to the German company Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems for winning the tender for the construction of three Type 209 submarines for Argentina worth 4.1 billion euros.
Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, in an interview with the newspaper "Süddeutsche Zeitung" said in favor of a significant increase in defense spending in the medium term and guarantees for long-term financing. He stressed that Germany should spend more than 2% of GDP on defense, perhaps 3% of GDP.