Sensing a feeding frenzy, German arms makers jockey for position

With Russia showing it's face as an aggressor nation again I'm sure defense spending is going to increase in a number of places.

Thanks Brother Joe. At the ready.

..."A spokesperson for the Defence Ministry did not return a request for comment on acquisition guidelines accompanying the proposed spending uptick.

The prospect of more defense funding also puts the spotlight on Germany’s air and missile defense capabilities, moving companies to position themselves in a market where defense officials have unsuccessfully tried to move past the venerable Patriot system.

Rheinmetall and MBDA Italy signed a memorandum of understanding this week aimed at finding “disruptive technologies and in the national and European defence funds domain” in air defense, per a joint statement.

In that partnership, Rheinmetall bills itself as the air-defense and radar specialist, while MBDA would provide future interceptors.

In the lower-tier segment, German officials are expected to fall back on a setup featuring the IRIS-T interceptor, as proposed by manufacturer Diehl in conjunction with Hensoldt and Rheinmetall in March 2021. The companies’ package of missiles, radars and launch vehicles is meant to intercept aircraft, combat helicopters and cruise missiles, a weapon mix similar to the Russian arsenal used in the invasion of Ukraine.

The former government of Chancellor Angela Merkel quietly approved the export of IRIS-T firing units to Egypt, a controversial deal that became public only after Scholz assumed office. Now, one consideration for a speedier acquisition of an air defense shield is to route some elements not yet delivered to Cairo into Berlin’s stocks instead.

Sebastian Sprenger is Europe editor for Defense News, reporting on the state of the defense market in the region, and on U.S.-Europe cooperation and multinational investments in defense and global security. He previously served as managing editor for Defense News."