Germany’s parliament has approved a defense procurement package exceeding €7 billion ($8.14 billion), with new combat aircraft taking the lead in planned acquisitions.
More than half of the approved funding—approximately €3.75 billion ($4.36 billion)—will go toward purchasing an additional batch of tranche-five Eurofighters. Twenty of these jets are scheduled for delivery between 2031 and 2034. The package also includes components for aircraft maintenance and upgraded simulators, totaling €412 million for the Luftwaffe, Germany’s air force.
In Germany, any military procurement exceeding €25 million requires the budget committee’s approval. On Wednesday, lawmakers approved 14 planned projects meeting this threshold.
The new tranche-five Eurofighters will feature enhanced EScan radar systems and are expected to play a critical role in electronic warfare, replacing the country’s older Tornado jets. In a separate initiative also approved on Wednesday, the Eurofighter fleet will receive further electronic warfare upgrades—particularly for suppressing enemy air defenses—amounting to €1.13 billion, with completion targeted by 2033.
Unlike other recent acquisitions, the latest Eurofighter purchase will be funded from the military’s standard budget, rather than the €100 billion special fund established by the previous government following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Several newly approved projects will draw from that special fund. These include new Boxer armored vehicles for training and medical purposes, contracts for lightweight, air-droppable land combat vehicles, and the development of a new pontoon bridge for river crossings.
The navy will also benefit from the appropriations, receiving medium-range boats for maritime special forces and mine-hunting sonar systems.
Since the start of 2025, the budget committee has authorized 25 major procurement projects as Germany accelerates its rearmament efforts, aiming to become Europe’s strongest conventional military.
