Re-arming the Bundeswehr: Which Projects?

It will be hard for Germany to find a sensible role in the post Trump NATO.
UK and France have their nuclear deterrents and continuing global commitments. The Baltic and Mediterranean members have clear challenges in their regions.
No longer a frontline state and with an understandable aversion to deploying military force outside its own borders Germany cannot recreate its impressive frontline force of the late 1980s.
In some ways like the US and UK in the past Germany needs to use its continuing economic and industrial muscle to help its neighbours in Poland and elsewhere re-arm.
Nuclear weapons must also come on the table given Putin's apparent willingness to threaten their use. While Germany cannot and should not have them on its own soil it should discuss with Sweden and Finland the possibility of Pershing 2/Hades type weapons hidden in their forests to counter the Iskanders in Kaliningrad and Belarus.
 
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uk 75 said:
While Germany cannot and should not have them on its own soil it should discuss with Sweden and Finland the possibility of Pershing 2/Hades type weapons hidden in their forests to counter the Iskanders in Kaliningrad and Belarus.
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Why?
 
uk 75 said:
It will be hard for Germany to find a sensible role in the post Trump NATO.
UK and France have their nuclear deterrents and continuing global commitments. The Baltic and Mediterranean members have clear challenges in their regions.
No longer a frontline state and with an understandable aversion to deploying military force outside its own borders Germany cannot recreate its impressive frontline force of the late 1980s.
In some ways like the US and UK in the past Germany needs to use its continuing economic and industrial muscle to help its neighbours in Poland and elsewhere re-arm.
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While also re arming themself yet it will be hard. The economy isn't going great and the political parties are not really inline with it. Many try to take the rush of support but there actions to follow it are rather dull however the current goverment has achieved more in less than 4 years compared to what merkel did in her 16 years.
uk 75 said:
Nuclear weapons must also come on the table given Putin's apparent willingness to threaten their use.
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Thats are very hard thing to do for any eu country outside the existing users. The NPT ain't for nothing but one can leave with reason (well or not).
uk 75 said:
While Germany cannot and should not have them on its own soil it should discuss with Sweden and Finland the possibility of Pershing 2/Hades type weapons hidden in their forests to counter the Iskanders in Kaliningrad and Belarus.
Click to expand...
Ignoring the political problems (NPT and 2 +4 for example) why should germany not have them?
 
There is an interesting juxtaposition between posts #216 and #217. As the linked article, Germany's likely next government seeks higher defense spending makes clear, working around the Schuldenbremse will be a formidable challenge.

A simple way to make funds available for the Heer - in the short-term - would be to cancel those US-built P-8A Poseidons. At at stroke, €1.64 billion are freed up while cancelling US-made F-35s provides another €10B for arms produced in Germany.

(The latter is not as far-fetched as it seems - Carleton's Stephen Saideman has already broached the subject of cancelling Canada's F-35 order in response to economic damage done by Trump's protectionist tariffs.)
 
I've heard rumours about potential supply of parts could be interfered with by POTUS orders.

A lot of political shenanigans going on at the moment.
 
had said:
The German F-35s are heavily linked to its nuclear deterrence. Nobody in his right mind would gamble with that in this situation. But reducing the ordered 35 units to 24...maybe.
After having an European 5-6th Gen. fighter alternative and an European nuclear deterrence, you can start to get rid of the F-35s - not before.
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Except that Merz - the key decision-maker in the next German coalition - wants 'independence' from the US whom he now regards as an unreliable ally. That being the case, why would he trust Americans who hold the keys to the NATO Nuclear Weapons Sharing Program? In other words, it is little more than a policy crap-shoot in either direction.

There is a reason why France is suddenly musing on the idea of forward-basing nuclear armed Rafales in Germany. Besides, an example of unreliability has just been neatly provided with the crippling of Ukraine's HIMARS capabilities by a US 'pause' in intelligence-sharing. Berlin will have noticed.
 

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