The native country of Germany would, with the current production rate, need almost 100 years to produce enough of certain types of weapons to achieve an acceptable defense capability against Russia, experts affiliated with the Kiel Institute (IFW) warn.
"Russia is becoming an increasingly large security threat to NATO. At the same time, the rearmament required for deterrence is progressing very slowly", writes the research group, according to Der Spiegel.
In February 2022, days after the Russian large-scale invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised a paradigm shift in defense policy. But since then, not much has happened, at least not compared to Russia, where the defense industry is running at full speed in a war economy, the researchers note.
At this rate, the German stock of main battle tanks will not return to the 2004 level – the starting point for the study – until 2066. The fighter jet fleet can be restored by 2038, and artillery pieces not until almost 100 years – in 2121.
In December 2023, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that Russia could attack a NATO country within five to eight years.
