German arms export

The assault rifle that is exported worldwide and that is most widespread after the Kalashnikov is the Heckler & Koch G3 . Here you can see the gun used by the Guyana Defense Forces . In Libya , the successor HK G36 assault rifle was used by Gaddafi's troops in 2011 in the civil war against the rebels

The German arms export is the foreign trade of companies, consortia and the Bundeswehr from the Federal Republic of Germany with armaments and war weapons . The export of a large part of these goods is subject to the War Weapons Control Act and requires the approval of the Federal Security Council .

Various data sources are available for this purpose: The arms export reports of the German Federal Government, which have been published annually since 1999, list the export licenses issued for all armaments by country, according to export list items and the actual exports by country for the subset of war weapons. A breakdown of the export licenses by country and export list items simultaneously takes place in the joint EU annual reports ("Annual report in accordance with Article 8 (2) of Common Position 2008/944 / CFSP on common rules for the control of the export of military technology and equipment"). In addition, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute collects SIPRI heavy conventional weapons (since 1950 international data to import and export major Conventional weapons ).

In 2019, export licenses for armaments worth 8 billion euros were issued. The share of EU countries was 39.2 percent, that of NATO and NATO-equivalent countries was 16.7 percent and that of third countries was 44.1 percent. According to SIPRI data, Germany was the largest in 2019 with a world market share of 4.4 percent, behind the United States (39.5%), Russia (17.3%), France (12.4%) and China (5.2%) fifth largest arms exporter.

development

German arms exports to recipient countries since 1996.
Value of the export licenses of the Federal Security Council

	EU countries		NATO (equivalent ) countries		Third countries		total
year	Million €	proportion of	Million €	proportion of	Million €	proportion of	Million €
1996	615	28.2%	720	33.0%	850	38.9%	2,185
1997	732	35.5%	733	35.6%	596	28.9%	2,061
1998	632	22.0%	1,208	42.0%	1,033	36.0%	2,874
1999	702	23.2%	1,543	51.0%	783	25.9%	3,028
2000	1,284	45.1%	964	33.8%	600	21.1%	2,847
2001	1,330	36.1%	1.011	27.4%	1,346	36.5%	3,686
2002	1,364	41.9%	1,150	35.3%	745	22.9%	3,258
2003	1,892	38.9%	1,359	27.9%	1,613	33.2%	4,864
2004	1.916	50.3%	811	21.3%	1,080	28.4%	3,807
2005	1,440	34.2%	1,120	26.6%	1,656	39.3%	4.216
2006	1,863	44.5%	1,174	28.0%	1,151	27.5%	4.189
2007	1,297	35.4%	1,141	31.1%	1,230	33.5%	3,668
2008	1,839	31.8%	809	14.0%	3.141	54.3%	5,788
2009	1,445	28.7%	1.106	21.9%	2,492	49.4%	5,043
2010	2,315	48.7%	1,056	22.2%	1,383	29.1%	4,754
2011	1,954	36.1%	1,163	21.5%	2,298	42.4%	5,415
2012	971	20.7%	1,129	24.0%	2,604	55.4%	4,704
2013	1,168	20.0%	1,071	18.3%	3,606	61.7%	5,846
2014	817	20.6%	753	18.9%	2,404	60.5%	3,974
2015	2,474	31.5%	763	9.7%	4,621	58.8%	7,859
2016	1,353	19.8%	1,827	26.7%	3,668	53.6%	6,848
2017	1,483	23.8%	965	15.5%	3,795	60.8%	6,242
2018	1,054	21.8%	1,221	25.3%	2,550	52.9%	4,824
2019	3,142	39.2%	1,342	16.7%	3,531	44.1%	8,015

Scope of German arms export licenses

Negotiations on the Paris Treaties 1954 a. a. with Franz Josef Strauss : With the rearmament of Germany, a German arms industry was approved, which was also allowed to export worldwide within the framework of the Western link .

The Wieger 941 was developed and produced for export, but was no longer exported due to the collapse of the GDR.

The arming of the imperial navy before the First World War secured orders for up-and-coming companies in Germany and supported the expansion of their capacities. Before 1914, naval requirements were considered the most technologically demanding and innovative armaments sector. None of the ships produced at the time were exported.

Soon after the GDR was founded , its armaments industry began producing defense technology. The National People's Army mainly used Soviet weapons until its end. The total volume of defense technology goods and services of the GDR amounted to a total of 3.7 billion marks in 1989 , of which defense technology was exported to a value of 1.4 billion marks. The main customer was the Soviet Union . From the USSR the GDR received licenses for the production of z. B. assault rifles of the series AK-47 ("Kalaschnikow"), which were manufactured by VEB equipment and tool construction Wiesa . The GDR also exported to the " non-socialist economic area ". Around 1980 armaments were shipped to African countries for around 200 million marks annually. In addition, repairs were carried out on Soviet military aircraft ( VEB Flugzeugwerft Dresden , today Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH) for friendly countries, as well as for Iran and Iraq during their war against each other.

The GDR (VEB Wiesa) developed its own assault rifle on the basis of the AK47 from 1985, which was to be exported to Peru and African countries. However, due to the turning point, it was no longer ready for series production .

After the Second World War , the German arms industry was initially disbanded as part of the demilitarization of Germany. In the Federal Republic of Germany, in the context of integration into the West and rearmament in the mid-1950s, it flourished again with the first export products. No federal government wanted to openly comment on its export policy in public.

Under the first social-liberal coalition in 1971, the “Political Principles of the Federal Government for the Export of War Weapons and Other Armaments” were laid down, which in principle did not provide for any restrictions on arms exports for NATO countries, while other states generally received no war weapons and exports of other armaments “so as far as possible ”should be restricted. The new version of the principles introduced by the Schmidt III cabinet in 1982 provided for armaments exported to NATO countries to end up in the NATO area. For the exceptional approval of exports to other countries, foreign and security policy interests should be taken into account instead of employment policy reasons in order to prevent the development of additional, export-specific capacities.

After the end of the Cold War around 1990, arms and defense spending fell sharply in many countries. Many weapons have been scrapped under disarmament agreements. Peace dividend refers to the relief of the state budget or the increase in social prosperity that could / could arise through other use of these funds.

Due to the armament in the course of the war on terror since 2001 ( 9/11 ), the arms industry and its exports expanded. The annual average of international trade in heavy conventional weapons rose by 22 percent in the years 2005 to 2009 compared to the annual average for the years 2000 to 2004. Companies that manufacture military and civilian products sometimes try to sell the civilian portion (e.g. B. BAE Systems sold its Airbus stake in 2006) to increase its military stake.

At the same time, the number of employees in the German armaments sector fell from around 290,000 (1990) to 80,000 in 2002.

In the period from 1996 onwards, the German arms industry increased its export volume significantly, from an average of 2.6 billion euros in the five-year period 1996–2000 to 6.8 billion euros in 2015–2019. This is mainly due to an increase in exports to third countries, which accounted for 29.7 percent of export permits in 1996–2000 and 53.8 percent in 2015–2019. Politically, the statement “Everything that swims goes!” Became a kind of “armament policy principle” (Die Welt). This becomes clear when it comes to the reality that in 2010 more than half of the 36 countries that have non-nuclear submarines around the world were using submarines of German origin. Warships made in 1999 almost half of all export permits from ²⁰ in 2019, the share was 5.5 percent. ^{: 25}

From 2014 onwards, the Federal Security Council approved numerous exports to Arab countries (UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, etc.) on the grounds that the states had to defend themselves against the threat to the Islamic State .

In 2019, German companies received permits for arms exports totaling eight billion euros, which is the highest amount ever recorded for such exports.

legal framework

In the Federal Republic of Germany, the War Weapons Control Act regulates the manufacture, trade, brokerage and export of war weapons. Formally, no applicant has the right to a permit. According to the War Weapons Control Act, weapons of war are those weapons that are actually used to wage war. The term “armaments” is broader and describes products that are manufactured for military purposes. This also includes, for example, trucks with camouflage paintwork or reconnaissance drones .

Important criteria are also the human rights situation in the recipient country and the question of whether the recipient country in a crisis area is. In 2008 the European Council adopted a “common position” in which the heads of state and government also emphasized human rights and regional stability as central criteria. In the paper, they called for the provisions to be standardized, but this has not yet been implemented.

At a conference in New York in July 2012 , the UN negotiated with all member countries to reach a global arms trade agreement for small arms . The arms trade treaty is intended to regulate and restrict the trade in conventional weapons, especially small arms . In Germany, this mainly affects the manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K). Through the agreement, the states would commit to strict export controls. The European states advocated strict regulations, while many other countries wanted to enforce exceptions, including China , which saw its light arms business in Third World countries at risk. The agreement was signed in April 2013. The US, Russia and China abstained from voting, suggesting that they will not ratify the agreement. Critics complain that the export of ammunition has not become part of the agreement.

Approval process

Before a group can make an official request for a deal, it contacts the relevant departments in order to clarify the chances of approval.

Federal Security Council

In the case of transactions in countries that are considered “critical” for various reasons (human rights violations, dictatorships, etc.), the Federal Security Council decides whether or not to come about. This also applies if the ministries involved cannot agree. The Federal Security Council is a cabinet committee and the highest body for German security policy. The body has nine permanent members. In addition to the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor and the Head of the Federal Chancellery, it includes the Ministers for Finance, Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Justice, Defense and Development.

The council decides with a simple majority on export licenses for arms and other armaments products. Its deliberations take place when necessary and are secret - the public is not informed about dates and agendas. The minutes are treated as classified information in the Federal Chancellery .

While in the government of Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder attention was paid to an amicable decision of the secretly meeting and its members to maintain secrecy, majority decisions were introduced under Chancellor Angela Merkel ( Cabinet Merkel I and II ) and more and more economically interesting conference items are also well dosed relevant informative press.

Parliamentary control

The Bundestag or the Bundesrat has no direct say in the licensing procedure: According to a decision by the Federal Constitutional Court, export licenses are constitutionally guaranteed ( Art. 26 (2 )) “core area of ​​executive personal responsibility”. The Bundestag can protest or take legislative action, e.g. B. change the War Weapons Control Act by simply changing the law.

Political controversy

The export of war weapons has always been a political issue. The approval policy of the respective federal government also reflects its specific foreign policy interests.

The majority of the CDU / CSU and FDP parliamentary groups consider it important to maintain a strong German position in the global competition of defense technology manufacturers. However, the former Federal Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher (FDP) criticized the German arms export policy of the Merkel II cabinet in 2012 : "In retrospect, the German reluctance in arms export policy has proven to be correct, and one should stick to it," he told the news magazine Der Mirror .

The majority of the SPD and Bündnis90 / The Greens view arms exports critically. "Limiting and controlling arms exports is a direct contribution to peacekeeping and conflict prevention," wrote Edelgard Bulmahn , member of the Foreign Affairs Committee for the SPD in 2012 in the taz. However, a distinction must be made between NATO states and other countries and a general ban on arms exports does not take into account the important distinction.

The Left rejects German arms exports to all states - regardless of the defense alliance.

armed forces

Submarine at the TKMS shipyard pier in Kiel. The boats are tested by the German Navy .

The Bundeswehr works with arms manufacturers in various ways. She tests new weapon systems and trains friendly armies on them. Following a request from the left in the Bundestag to the Merkel II cabinet, training support is possible “only within the framework of free capacities and against full cost reimbursement by the recipient country”.

The German Navy helps train submarine crews. In 2013 crews from South Africa, Portugal and Greece were listed. In these cases it is a matter of submarine rescue training.

Israel is also being supported with submarine training. This is about " tactics training (submarine)". This usually lasts five days and was carried out by three experts mostly three times a year between 2007 and 2012.

Test drives for ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems of the boats built for Israel in the Baltic Sea are carried out by the German Navy.

Recipient countries

According to the arms export report (first report 1999), around 10,000 armaments exports per year requiring approval, only the politically most important are made public. German weapons, armaments technology and components made in Germany are common worldwide. In 2009, according to the arms export report, the federal government approved the export of arms and other armaments to 135 countries around the world. In 2008 there were also 135, in 2007 there were 138 and in 2006 even 141.

Recipient countries are the member states of the European Union , the group of NATO countries and the twelve countries currently on an equal footing with NATO members. In addition, around 100 other countries worldwide that do not belong to any or any other defense alliance are supplied.

Algeria

Algeria allegedly (reported Jane's Navy International) signed a purchase agreement on March 26, 2012 for four units of MEKO-200 multi-purpose frigates from ThyssenKrupp. According to this article, the total price should amount to 2.176 billion euros. The amount of the price suggests that six Super Lynx helicopters are included.

This Algerian sub-class will presumably have a higher displacement than the South African ships of the class, this should reduce the risk of instabilities in the event of later conversions. As armament to anti-ship missile RBS 15 Mk 3 of Saab Dynamics , infrared-guided, vertically verschießbare ground-to-air missile of Denel Dynamics , a Oto-Melara -Hauptkanone and two Rheinmetall 27-mm short-range guns are installed.

Egypt

For a long time the state was mainly supplied with armaments from the Eastern Bloc. However, in 2003, Heckler & Koch sold Egypt G36 to the security forces there with the approval of the German authorities. In 2011, Libyan rebels found a large number of G36s from a shipment to Egypt when they stormed a Gaddafi residence.

In 2017, the German government (Merkel III cabinet) issued 37 export licenses for arms exports with a total value of 428 million euros to the military regime under Egypt's President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi. “ Sidewinder ” rockets from Diehl and a submarine from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) will be delivered. Three more boats are to follow by 2021. Egypt's neighboring country Israel protested unsuccessfully against the submarine business. In December 2018, the Federal Security Council approved the delivery of a MEKO 200 frigate.

Argentina

The Argentine corvette ARA Almirante Brown (D10) built according to German plans

Argentina has received support since 1999 for the construction of its own 207 TAM main battle tanks and 263 armored personnel carriers. As part of a contract already concluded in the 1980s, the corvettes of the MEKO 140 were designed for the Navy in Germany and built in Argentina. Argentina also received a MEKO-140 frigate from Blohm & Voss directly in 2000 and 2004 . The 209 submarines and two TR-1700 submarines (launched in 1982 and 1983) were also delivered to Argentina.

In 2015, parts for a ground surveillance radar, communication equipment, parts for submarines, utilities and icebreakers as well as manufacturing equipment for ammunition parts valued at over 8 million euros were delivered.

Brazil

In October 2011, the Brazilian armed forces held an air defense comparative shooting at the Formosa military training area (Brazil) in order to identify a mobile air defense system for their units. For this purpose, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann bought a Gepard 1A2 (formerly Y-259 820) from the Bundeswehr. Soldiers from the Army Air Defense Force Training Center supported the manufacturer in presenting the weapon system in Brazil. In April 2013 it was announced that Brazil had acquired 34 used FlakPz 1A2s from the Bundeswehr for a total price of around 30 million euros.

In 2019, under the leadership of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in Kiel , the consortium Águas Azuis was commissioned by the Brazilian Navy to build four ships of the corvette class Tamandaré (CCT). The ships are built in Itajaí , Brazil , in the state of Santa Catarina ; the technical know-how comes from the Thyssen-Krupp shipyard in Kiel. The corvettes are to be handed over to Marinha do Brasil between 2025 and 2028. The order is worth a total of 1.8 billion euros.

Chile

In 2007 Chile ordered two coastal patrol boats from the German company Fassmer . This was delivered in the course of 2007. In the course of the withdrawal of German land weapons by the Bundeswehr, mainly armored weapons were sold to Latin American countries. Since then, Chile has ordered 138 Marder-1A3 infantry fighting vehicles and 30 Gepard anti-aircraft vehicles from the German Armed Forces (the 140 Leopard-2A4 battle tanks that went to Chile from 2008, however, came from the Dutch Army)

Ecuador

The HK33 light assault rifles had long been available in the Ecuadorian Army in a previously unexplained manner. The Ecuadorian infantry fought with these weapons in the 1981 Cenepa War against Peru . The HK33 rapid-fire rifle from Heckler & Koch is the standard rifle for special forces and marine infantry.

Georgia

Georgian special forces fought with HKG36 assault rifles in the conflict region of South Ossetia . Heckler & Koch denied the deliveries to the crisis area and the then federal government also denied it. How the weapons got there is still unclear.

Greece

Greece is one of the main buyers of German arms. A conflict between Turkey and Greece has been simmering for decades ( Cyprus question, among others), but this did not prevent Germany from equipping both states with extensive weapon systems, especially ships and submarines (“marine components”). As soon as the financial crisis in Greece became clear, the federal government (Merkel I and Merkel II) agreed to extensive deliveries of military goods:

In March 2010 the German and French governments are said to have demanded that Greece buy frigates and submarines worth 4.5 billion euros as a prerequisite for concessions in the design of the rescue package: two more submarines from the Poseidon Class (Type 214) under license from the Kiel HDW for 1 billion euros and six French FREMM frigates worth 3.5 billion euros. (Merkel and Sarkozy did not confirm this message.)

The Greek army uses the MK 20 Rh 202 (MaschinenKanone Rheinmetall 20 mm). This was developed in the late 1960s by the German armaments company Rheinmetall GmbH , and was built and exported until 1976. In addition to the Leopard 2 , the army also uses the self-propelled howitzer 2000 .

Like Turkey, the Navy primarily uses German submarines of the U-boat class 209 (four of the Poseidon-class and four of the Glaukos-class) and wants a submarine of the submarine class 214 in the near future put into service.

India

India has been arming its army for some time. To this end, the country, like rival Pakistan, is using German weapons systems. Since 2006, representatives of the federal government in India have been publicly promoting the purchase of German armaments. Due to the conflict with Pakistan over the Kashmir region, India was subject to strict export controls. These were relaxed by the federal government in 2015, although the individual case studies under the arms export guidelines are retained. According to the 2010 Armaments Report, India purchased weapons systems worth over 96 million euros. The German Ministry of Economic Affairs supported contacts between EADS Cassidian and Rheinmetall Defense representatives in India.

In 2010, German manufacturers supplied the Indian Navy with underwater location devices, hull penetrations and parts for submarines, destroyers, landing craft and radar systems. In addition, German shipyards supplied patrol boats and other ships, as well as underwater location devices. Electronic equipment such as magnetic self-protection systems , communication, navigation and steering equipment, and test equipment were also sold.

The Indian Air Force was supplied with engine parts and aircraft parts.

India's army received ammunition parts, as well as parts for tanks and small arms.

Since 2006, EADS has no longer seen any political restrictions on the sale of the Eurofighter, from helicopters to unmanned drones. The group is investing around two billion euros by 2020 in a technology center and in placing orders with Indian suppliers.

Indonesia

In 2013, the federal government approved the export of 104 Leopard 2 battle tanks, four recovery tanks and three bridge-laying and pioneer tanks each to Indonesia. This only became known after a small request from MP Katja Keul . Rheinmetall received an export license from the Federal Security Council for this delivery and for the delivery of a further 50 Marder 1A2 armored personnel carriers . For this purpose, older models of the marten should be modernized. The Netherlands had previously rejected Indonesia's request. The Dutch parliament raised concerns about the human rights situation in Indonesia. Indonesia then turned to the Federal Republic.

Critics fear that the tanks in Indonesia could be used in conflict with ethnic minorities.

Iraq

In 2014 the Federal Government sent around 4,000 combat helmets, 700 small radios, 680 telescopes and around 4,000 protective vests, as well as 30 mine probes, 20 metal detectors and 40 tools and equipment for ammunition disposal to the Kurdish Peshmerga in Iraq. At first only this passive equipment was delivered. It should serve to fight the IS terrorists. She later decided to support a arms package. This includes a total of 16,000 assault rifles (G36), 40 machine guns, 8,000 pistols, 30 Milan anti-tank weapons , 200 bazookas, 100 signal pistols, 10,000 hand grenades and a total of 106 military vehicles. The aim was to fully equip a large military unit with 4,000 soldiers from the Peshmerga militia (protective equipment, means of communication, weapons and means of transport). The Ministry of Defense estimated the number of Kurdish fighters against IS to be 15 to 18 brigades with a thousand men each. According to the Stuttgarter Zeitung, with this delivery the federal government made a substantial contribution to equipping a good quarter of the troops fighting IS in northern Iraq.

Iran

Iranian army with the "Iranian" -G3
2011

The country received the license to build the G3 from H&K in 1967. To this day it is the army's standard weapon and is still produced in Iran. Observers assume that Iranian G3s are deployed in Sudan , among others . There the Janjawid militias terrorize and the like. a. with the G3 the civilian population. Fighters from the military wing of the Iranian allied Hamas repeatedly publicly showed H&K weapons.

According to the Customs Criminal Police Office , many weapons were illegally exported from Germany to Iran in 2012. The President of the Customs Criminal Police Office, Norbert Drude, was concerned “about Iran's aggressive procurement efforts”. Three quarters of all cases of illegal arms exports concern the regime in Tehran. The country is particularly interested in key technology for the production of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and rockets as delivery systems. In addition, “dual-use goods” that can be used for both civil and military purposes are supplied.

Israel

The then Israeli commander in chief Benny Gantz on an Israeli Dolphin-class submarine in 2011 that was involved in the sea ​​blockade of the Gaza Strip . The boats carry cruise missiles (presumably AGM-142 ), which can be equipped with nuclear warheads .

The IDF is interested in dingo, here Bundeswehr dingoes in Afghanistan.

Israel has been importing German weapon systems, spare parts and electronics for decades. In some cases, there are development partnerships between Israeli and German companies for Bundeswehr drones .

As early as the mid-1950s, German companies began delivering armaments to the still young state of Israel. The German yacht and boat yard Burmester built two patrol boats and transported them to Israel. Work on the boats had probably already begun when the manufacture of armaments was still prohibited in the newly founded Federal Republic of Germany.

Germany and Israel both built powerful armies and their own arms industry capacities in the 1950s. Against the background of the Holocaust , Germany felt obliged to support Israel. Cooperation between the two countries was not allowed to become public, as it would have been difficult to mediate in domestic politics in both countries and could have led to major problems for the Federal Republic in terms of foreign policy.

In 1958, the ministers Shimon Peres and Franz Josef Strauss (then Defense Minister in the Adenauer II cabinet ) agreed on a further cooperation: Germany supplied surplus weapons from American armaments that had previously been handed over to the Bundeswehr as construction aid. In 1962, Adenauer signed a secret agreement according to which, until 1964, Sikorsky helicopters , North Noratlas transport aircraft , Fouga Magister training aircraft, converted M48 tanks and other items were supplied to Israel, some directly or via third countries.

For its part, the Bundeswehr imported the Israeli submachine guns of the Uzi type under the designation MP2 from 1959 and introduced them as a standard weapon. Israel also supplied Soltam mortars and ammunition for the Bundeswehr.

When the German deliveries to Israel became known, some of the Arab states broke off diplomatic relations with Germany in 1965. They threatened to recognize the GDR. The Federal Government then decided that war weapons should no longer be delivered to any of the potential war opponents in the Middle East. The principle of equal treatment should apply to “other armaments”. Israel received DM 140 million in compensation for the weapons they had not delivered and the promise that Bonn would pay for the construction of six Lürssen speedboats in France and provide technical support. In addition, the establishment of diplomatic relations was agreed.

In 1962 and 1963, Germany nevertheless supplied 1,600 Cobra systems, which were manufactured by the Bavarian company Bölkow . According to the new voluntary commitment, these were led indirectly to Israel. Three submarines of the type Gal, speed boats and "other armaments" (e.g. radio, navigation, direction finding and radar technology or e.g. gyrocompasses from the Freiburg company LITEF ) and German components for war weapons arrived in various ways Israel.

From 1977 to 1991 the Federal Republic of Germany paid around 1.3 billion DM for deliveries of ammunition from Israel. a. 155 mm artillery cluster munitions of the type DM632 (now banned under international law) or mortar shells (in the Federal Republic of Germany fitted with German fuses from Junghans Microtec ).

In August 1966, the Mossad succeeded in convincing an Iraqi MiG-21 pilot to flee to Israel on his plane. The BND received the evaluation results of the test flights in Israel and was able to examine the aircraft in Israel. The German armaments industry was informed about the technological status of the Soviets.

Up until the 1990s, major collaborations were mostly coordinated and handled by the BND and the Mossad. This was also the case with a cooperation in 1972, when the Bundeswehr developed jamming technology for fighter-bombers in Israel. This project was code-named "Cerberus", later TSPJ . The Bundestag was not informed for several years and the budget item should be hidden in the huge budget for the tornado .

2000s In October 2004 the first German submarines were launched. Two Dolphin submarines followed a year later, and three MeKo corvettes in April 2010. Launchers for bazookas and bunker-piercing ammunition were delivered in December 2012.

The Israeli army had been interested in the ATF Dingo as a replacement for the previous Israeli troop transports since the mid-2000s . The previous transporters were also used to transfer soldiers to the Palestinian territories in a protected position. In 2006 the Federal Security Council decided to deliver a test copy of the "Dingo 2" to Israel. As an armored vehicle with space for eight soldiers and secured against mines, handguns and shrapnel and armed with an MG3, it meets the requirements of the IDF. The defense policy spokesman for the Left parliamentary group Paul Schäfer said in 2006: "These vehicles are ideal for rapid military operations and punitive measures against the Palestinian population." In contrast, the dingo is by no means needed for the defense of Israel, said Schäfer. When dingoes from American license production were finally to be delivered to Israel by Textron Systems Marine & Land Operations as a licensee of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the German Bundestag banned this business in February 2016.

The Federal Security Council approved the export of another submarine in 2015. After delivery, the Israeli Navy modified the German submarines so that they can be armed with nuclear cruise missiles.

Jordan

In 2015, the Federal Security Council approved the sale of around 1,000 rifles, almost 50 submachine guns and 100,000 cartridges of ammunition for submachine guns to the country. In contrast to large-scale equipment, however, in such cases, as usual, neither the commissioned companies nor the specific weapons by name. The weapons are probably from Heckler & Koch .

Qatar

Permits for German arms exports to Qatar

Up until 2012, the arms export licenses to Qatar did not exceed tens of millions. In 2013, the Federal Republic of Germany made one of the “largest arms deals in recent German history” (Die Zeit) with the small but financially well- resourced emirate . The order was worth 1.9 billion euros. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) wanted to deliver the Panzerhaubitze 2000 24 times, 65 Leopard 2 battle tanks in a system network with 5 armored recovery vehicles, 7 Fennek reconnaissance vehicles , plus 155 caliber practice, battlefield and smoke ammunition. In addition, the export of tractors, trucks, crane trucks, semi-trailers, trailers, masts and other parts for tanks was approved. A German flight simulator came for the training of the Qatari Air Force and a tank simulator from Germany for the army, as well as fire control systems, target range measurement systems and radar devices, communication equipment and navigation equipment. In view of the human rights situation in Qatar , the opposition parties Left and Greens criticized the export permits. In 2014, Qatar was also accused of supporting the Islamic State (IS), while Chancellor Merkel described Qatar as an ally in the fight against IS.

In the armaments export report 2013, permits worth only 673 million euros were listed - Qatar was thus the second most important buyer -, including none for war weapons, but in 2015 the permits amounted to 1.7 billion euros, of which 1.5 billion for war weapons. The value of actual war weapons exports, including the export of ten Leopard 2 tanks and five armored howitzers 2000, was 291 million euros. This shipment of tanks, the first part of the deal closed in 2013, was approved despite concerns about Qatar's involvement in the war in Yemen . A stop on the shipment of four Leopard 2 tanks and three self-propelled howitzers was refused because the responsible ministry feared claims for damages from the manufacturer. Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) pointed out that the approval had been granted under the previous black and yellow government and was irreversible. The transaction continued from 2016 to 2019 with the delivery of a further 49 Leopard 2 tanks, 19 self-propelled howitzers 2000 and 27 Fennek reconnaissance vehicles. ^{: 14 : 13 : 13 : 17}

Colombia

Exports of German armaments to Colombia were taboo because of the prevailing civil war and the close involvement of politicians and security authorities in the drug trade. In 2013, however, fire control equipment and target range measurement systems were delivered to Colombia, as well as parts for the modernization of two submarines, underwater positioning devices and torpedoes .

According to information from NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung, there was an illegal export of German weapons during the delivery of thousands of SIG SP 2022 pistols via the USA to Colombia between 2009 and 2011 . BAFA did not have a permit for the export. Since the US State Department assured that the weapons would remain in the USA ( end-use declaration ), the export to the USA was approved. The USA did not have a permit for re-export . Nevertheless, the delivery of 100,000 SIG SP 2022 pistols to Colombia by the US Army is said to have included not only pistols produced by SIG Sauer Inc. in the USA, but also pistols made in Germany. According to Der Spiegel , the Colombian State Department confirmed that the US Department of Defense had received around 65,000 SP 2022 pistols from 2006 onwards, valued at $ 28.6 million.

In addition, Der Spiegel reported that 500 SSG 3000 sniper rifles were delivered to the USA and possibly on to Colombia from there. The NDR and the SZ assume that at least 20 of these rifles have reached Colombia.

Kuwait

Kuwait has long been a recipient of German weapons. From 2015, the country will receive a grenade machine gun with a caliber of 40 millimeters. In addition, there are spare parts for arming a boxer armored vehicle, the testing of which has already been approved by the state.

Lithuania

In the course of the Ukraine crisis from 2014 onwards, the Baltic states showed greater interest in German weapons. In order to modernize its outdated tank fleet as quickly as possible, Lithuania asked the federal government in 2015 about boxer-type armored vehicles. The German government rejected a request from the NATO partner for the delivery of armored vehicles. The background was the Bundeswehr's own needs for operations and training. Lithuania wants to replace the outdated M113 tanks as quickly as possible in the medium term . That is why the Lithuanian government had proposed a so-called government-to-government deal involving a double-digit number of boxers to the German Ministry of Defense. The contracting partner would have been the federal government, not the manufacturing company Kraus-Maffei Wegmann. This would have avoided an arms export procedure. As of 2015, the Bundeswehr ordered 272 vehicles, and another 131 are to be added.

Mexico

Mexican BO-105, also delivered to Albania , Brunei , Colombia, Israel , Iraq, Lesotho , Sierra Leone , Trinidad and Tobago and over 10 other countries.

In 2005, Heckler & Koch wanted to sell machines to Mexico for a license version of the G36 valued at US $ 27 million. In 2006, however, Mexico introduced the new FX 5 rifle instead, based on the design of the G36 and intended to replace the licensed version of the H&K G3 made in Mexico by 2012. As a result, H&K and the federal government threatened with a lawsuit for product piracy , demanded the destruction of the FX 5 and compensation. After talking to Mexico's Defense Ministry in 2007, H&K withdrew the threat of legal action. A connection between this step and the purchase of the G36 by Mexico's police was suspected.

The exports to Mexico were often criticized; z. For example, the Federal Ministry of Economics only approved the application made in 2006 for the delivery of G-36 rifles on the condition that the rifles could not be delivered to the Mexican states of Chiapas , Chihuahua , Guerrero and Jalisco . However, since there were no controls, around half of the approx. 9,000 weapons delivered are currently (as of December 2014) used in these provinces.

In addition to rifles, submachine guns and manufacturing equipment for small arms, the country has bought 40 troop transporters HWK-11 and twelve combat helicopters Bölkow Bo 105 from Germany since 1999 .

After a demonstration of 2014, the Mexican police handed over 43 students arrested one of the Mafia related vigilantes . The students were executed and their bodies burned. HK G36 assault rifles were found on the arrested members of the vigilante group . The victims may have been executed with German weapons. The federal government sent the human rights commissioner Christoph Strässer (SPD) to apologize to the relatives.

In May 2015 it became known that Heckler & Koch is said to have delivered a total of 4,767 G 36 assault rifles to states in southern Mexico without a permit. According to information from various media, this emerges from the final report of the Cologne Customs Criminal Police Office (ZKA) from August 2014.

Norway

Norwegian infantryman with HK416 in Afghanistan

KNM Uthaug and KNM Uredd

Norway decided in 2007 to purchase the HK416 assault rifle as an orderly weapon and introduced it on April 12, 2007 for all branches of the armed forces.

Modern equipment is also in regular supply from Germany, so the 170 Leopard-1 -A5NO tanks that were in use up to now, with the exception of 15 remaining, have been replaced by 52 Leopard 2 A4NOs . The ATF Dingo (20 DINGO 2 - in the inlet) is also used.

The Norwegian Navy had its 210 class submarines built in Germany . As a Norwegian-French-German project, the boats were built in the North Sea Works in Emden , which is why they are considered "German design". The attack sonar comes from Germany.

Oman

From 2015, the small kingdom of Oman will be supplied with 500 submachine guns and 850 tubes and closures for fully automatic rifles as spare parts from Heckler & Koch. The country will receive several machine guns, fully automatic rifles and HK69 grenade pistols for testing .

Pakistan

The German government (Merkel I cabinet) issued individual export permits to Pakistan in 2008. Since 2001, the country has been fighting the radical Islamic Taliban, supported by the Western allies, and is in an ongoing dispute with the neighboring buyer of German weapons, India .

Philippines

The H&K G36 is used by special forces in the Philippine Army and the Presidential Guard. The previous model H & K G3 has long service rifle of the Philippine Army. Numerous G3s found themselves on the country's black markets.

Russia

The federal government ( Merkel III cabinet ) in Berlin threatened Russia with sanctions in the Ukraine crisis . Arms exports to the region are no longer acceptable, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics in April 2014 . At the same time, the export of weapons and ammunition continued in the first quarter of 2014 as long as they are classified as sporting weapons . Observers do not want to rule out that at least some of these weapons could end up with pro-Russian people's militias .

Saudi Arabia

Soldier of the Saudi Armed Forces in the Second Gulf War , armed with a Heckler & Koch HK G3 rifle. 1990

Permits for German arms exports to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the largest arms importer worldwide (2018). In 2016, the country was still in fourth place, after the great powers USA , China and Russia . In 2016, the country was spending $ 64 billion on war equipment. The share of military spending in Saudi Arabia is regularly between 10 and 14 percent of gross national income . A significant proportion of the weapons come from Rheinmetall and other German companies.

As early as the 1960s, the federal government issued licenses for the production of the G3 automatic rifle in Saudi Arabia. The country also has the Fuchs tank destroyer made in Germany. In 1991 Thyssen had delivered 36 copies.

According to the arms export reports of the Federal Government, exports in the double-digit millions were granted between 1999 and 2007. Under the grand coalition that has ruled since 2005 , the value of approved exports increased to 170 million euros in 2008, and the construction of a G36 factory in Saudi Arabia was also approved that year . In the following years under the black-yellow coalition , the value of the approved exports was in the three-digit million range and then rose to more than 1.2 billion euros in 2012, mainly because of a 1.1 billion euros border security system.

On July 2, 2011 it was reported that the Federal Security Council had approved the export of German Leopard 2A7 + to Saudi Arabia. According to press information from the magazine Der Spiegel , sales of 200 units are planned. The planned arms delivery met with considerable criticism, citing serious human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia and the crackdown on the democracy movement in neighboring Bahrain. In early December 2011, Saudi Arabia confirmed its interest in 270 Leopard tanks. Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière pointed out in September 2012 that Saudi Arabia played a major role in the stability of the region, and Merkel defended arms exports in October as a possible means of securing peace. A few months later, Saudi Arabia also showed interest in purchasing several hundred wheeled armored vehicles of the GTK Boxer type in various versions. This caused renewed criticism from the opposition, but also from the government camp. In 2013, Amnesty International criticized arms exports to Saudi Arabia because the regime there had in the past repeatedly helped to fight the protest movements in neighboring countries. When the people of Bahrain took to the streets in 2011 , Saudi Arabia sent soldiers and police officers to the neighboring country. In the grand coalition that has been in power since the end of 2013 , the SPD Minister of Economics, Sigmar Gabriel , spoke out against the tank deliveries, which is why reports say the Leopard tanks were ultimately not delivered. The order for the Boxer-type tanks did not materialize either; General Dynamics Land Systems Canada with the LAV 6 received it instead . Nevertheless, the value of the export licenses issued in the years after 2012 was more than 200 million euros each.

At the beginning of 2015, according to media reports, all German arms exports to Saudi Arabia were stopped with reference to the instability in the region. Riyadh intervenes as the most active player in the civil war in Yemen . Time and again there was evidence that the Saudi Army also used German weapons in Yemen. At Gabriel's instigation, the export of necessary parts for the G36 factory built in 2008 was suspended, against which Heckler & Koch filed a lawsuit. In June 2016 it was ruled that the federal government had to make a decision in this regard. In the whole of 2015, no war weapons were ultimately exported to Saudi Arabia, but export licenses for armaments worth EUR 270 million were issued, with licenses for war weapons amounting to EUR 23.8 million. In 2016, the federal government finally approved the export of the first of a total of 48 military patrol boats ordered. The state had already shown interest in the boats from the Lürssen shipyard in 2012 , and in 2013 the Federal Security Council approved the deal in principle. In the years after 2015, war weapons were exported again, for these both the permits worth 152 million euros (60 percent of all permits) and the exports worth 110 million euros reached new record values, although in April it was reported that that Saudi Arabia no longer wants to seek weapons export permits. In 2017, the federal government approved, among other things, the delivery of 110 heavy-duty vehicles from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH . At that time, the country was already in the Qatar crisis .

In the course of the exploratory negotiations for the formation of the new federal government , the Union and the SPD agreed at the beginning of 2018 not to issue permits for arms exports to countries involved in the Yemen war - including Saudi Arabia - with immediate effect. However, according to the coalition agreement, any pre-permits that have already been granted have been granted grandfathering. Weapons from German production or development were used by all conflict parties in Yemen. After the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi , the German government announced in October that it would no longer issue new arms export permits, but according to media reports Rheinmetall is getting around this with the help of subsidiaries in Italy and South Africa and continues to supply Saudi Arabia with ammunition. In 2018 as a whole, arms exports worth 460 million euros were approved. An end to the arms export ban was made dependent on developments in the Yemen conflict. The Union as well as France and the United Kingdom, which are affected by the export ban through joint European projects, spoke out in favor of easing the export ban, which the SPD still defended, and the coalition finally agreed at the end of March 2019 on a further extension until September 30 . However, compromises have been agreed for the Peene shipyard and EU joint projects. Nevertheless, it was reported in May that the shipyard operator Lürssen had sued the federal government for damages because of the export ban. In September, the export ban was extended by another six months, and in March 2020 by a further nine months. Ultimately, no permits were issued in 2019 (except for embassies). ^{: 114}

Spain

Spain uses 314 German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks . 6 Tiger attack helicopters are also used. The country ordered 87 Eurofighters (incoming) and 27 A400M (ordered) as well as 45 NH90 (incoming). Eight Taurus guided missiles (manufacturer EADS ) were also supplied, as well as submarine diesel engines and parts for the Spanish aircraft carrier. Spain received the license to manufacture the HK G36 assault rifle from Heckler & Koch Oberndorf .

South Africa

SAS Spioenkop (F147) of SAN, built by Blohm + Voss in the port of Rota
Image: 2004

South Africa has a flourishing arms industry and is itself one of the world's leading export nations in the field of war weapons. The focus is on the state company Armscor and internationally networked private companies. Nevertheless, the country has been importing German weapons technology for decades, including during the apartheid regime .

During apartheid

From 1948 to around 1993, strict racial segregation was the law in South Africa . Contrary to all UN resolutions that are binding under international law, such as Resolution 418 from 1977, which banned all military cooperation with South Africa for all UN states, Daimler-Benz and Rheinmetall, along with other foreign companies , supplied and cooperated with arms equipment in South Africa or were able to test them there ( Overberg Test Range ). Together with the South African Denel group, Rheinmetall has joint production facilities for ammunition and explosives. The German armaments cooperation with South Africa and its follow-up costs have also been the subject of Medico international since 1998.

The South African nuclear sector benefited from the cooperation with the Federal Republic of Germany in many ways. Deliveries for the processing of fissile materials can be verified around 1980. The then Defense Minister Pieter Willem Botha had supported a nuclear weapons program and the preparations of the military for a nuclear test during his tenure. In the course of the South African development of nuclear technology, German research institutions were involved. South Africa used an isotope separation process , which is a modified variant of a process developed in Germany . Missing equipment was supplied by US , French , German and companies from Switzerland . The cooperation with German partners, in the course of which South African experts also made research stays in Germany, was of considerable importance. After all, South Africa had six deployable nuclear warheads within its military's reach.

Almost two decades after the apartheid regime was overthrown, in 2010 a US court dealt with arms deliveries from the USA, Japan and Europe to South Africa during the apartheid period. In New York, in addition to the US companies GM , Ford and IBM , the German companies Daimler and Rheinmetall were also indicted. The South African organization Khulumani Support Group , an association of victims of the apartheid regime, initiated this process with international resonance against several companies, but had to accept the termination of the process in 2013.

The Federal Republic has been accused several times of supporting the apartheid system through arms exports to South Africa and military and police cooperation in the UN .

Daimler supplied South Africa with helicopters and military vehicles as well as tank engines before 1990. The state-owned company Atlantis Diesel Engines (ADE) was built 30 kilometers from Cape Town through licenses and construction plans from Daimler-Benz . After 1984 around 40,000 to 50,000 diesel engines for trucks and tractors were manufactured there in order to officially make South Africa independent of engine imports. After the state-owned company ADE made representations to Daimler-Benz in March 1978, its supervisory board at the time unanimously approved the granting of licenses in November 1978. The company then built high-performance engines, but never worked profitably. Nevertheless, production was continued for strategic military reasons. The South African Defense Force (SADF) “TRAX” jeep was equipped with ADE engines. The company also built drives that can be used for tanks.

The South African businesses of Mercedes-Benz of South Africa (Pty) were headed by Jürgen Schrempp during apartheid . After the end of apartheid, he rose to the position of CEO of the (German) Daimler-Benz AG and DaimlerChrysler AG, while ADE stopped manufacturing truck and industrial engines at the end of the 1990s and laid off almost all of its employees.

After the end of apartheid

In 2002, a consortium with the participation of EADS received an order from South Africa to supply anti-ship missiles MM40 Exocet and also supplied them to the South African National Defense Force .

The South African frigates of the Valor class have been part of the South African Navy since 2004 . The manufacturer Blohm + Voss calls them the MEKO A-200SAN, a further development of the MEKO 200 class of ships supplied to many naval forces . The SAN put the four ships of the Sitron project into service on December 3, 1999 as part of the strategic defense package of South Africa and the European South African Corvette Consortium (ESACC). The ESACC consists of today's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG , Thales and South African companies. On April 28, 2000, they received the order to build the four MEKO A-200SAN frigates for the Valor class.

The frigates are the first major new acquisitions by the South African Navy in 20 years and the end of apartheid. The uses of the ships are said to encompass a wide range of tasks that the Navy could not perform up to then: patrols in the territorial waters against fish poaching, operations against pirates and smugglers, fire support for land units as well as limited transport of these, combat patrol, defensive maritime surveillance, laying of Mines and the enforcement of sea blockades. A procurement of additional ships of this class is planned.

Rheinmetall's corporate activities through South African subsidiaries and associated companies continued successfully after the end of apartheid, for example with Rheinmetall Denel Munition Ltd. , which has a manufacturing facility near Somerset West . From South Africa, Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) develops and supplies the international arms sector with its products, for which the German subsidiary has invested heavily in Saudi Arabia . In 2016 the company opened an ammunition factory in Riyadh ; The then South African President Jacob Zuma attended the ceremony . Critics see RDM's international business as a circumvention of the German war weapons control regulations. In South Africa, the South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) is responsible for this. Andrew Feinstein, a former MP, describes his country in the Wall Street Journal as a place in the world with the least amount of scrutiny in this area. Because RDM products were repeatedly used against the civilian population in Arab countries ( Bahrain , Yemen ), a debate arose in the South African parliament in 2018 about the political impact of arms exports in the country, which prompted Lindiwe Sisulu, as Foreign Minister, to issue a corrective declaration.

Somalia

There were no official arms exports to Somalia. However, the Heckler & Koch G3 is used by militias as well as the army. G3 found in Somalia come directly from Oberndorf and license manufacturers.

Syria

Syria was supplied with the Franco-German MILAN missiles from France in the 1970s. In the Syrian civil war , which has been raging since 2011, the Gulf States coalition consisting of Saudi Arabia and Qatar confirmed in June 2013 that it had delivered MILAN missiles to the insurgents. The two countries in turn obtained these systems from EADS .

Thailand

In 1971, Thailand received the license to replicate the G3 from Heckler & Koch. Copies of the Thai production were later found in rebel groups in neighboring Burma .

Turkey

TCG Oruç Reis (F 245) of the Turkish Navy , built and equipped by Blohm + Voss Hamburg.
Image: 2009

The Turkey , since 1952 a member of NATO, one German weapons for many years the largest customers.

In 1967 Turkey received a license to produce G3 assault rifles. Various German federal governments have repeatedly been criticized for using German weapons in the Kurdish conflict against the PKK. In 2011, the Turkish armed forces had a budget of around US $ 25 billion . In 2009, the then federal government approved the construction of hunting submarines ( submarine class 214 ) for the Turkish Navy ('manufacturing license'). They were built together with a Turkish company and delivered in 2018. The situation in Turkey changed significantly after the coup attempt in Turkey in 2016 .

Even after Turkey invaded Syria ( Turkish military offensive on Afrin ) in 2018, the federal government approved the delivery of armaments, including fire control technology worth almost 4 million euros. While the export of tanks was stopped after the invasion, the hunting submarines approved for the Turkish Navy in 2009 were delivered in 2018. The boats were built together with a Turkish company.

army

The Turkish army is armed with the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks. After purchasing 298 Leopard2A4s in 2007, the country decided to manufacture the South Korean K2 Black Panther modified under license.

The Heckler & Koch G3 is used by the infantry.

marine

An extensive order was the delivery of the MEKO 200 TN Track I and II to the Turkish Navy . The contract for the first lot (Track I), ships of the MEKO 200 TN or Yavuz class , was signed with Turkey in April 1983. The first two ships were built at Blohm + Voss , Hamburg and HDW, Kiel . Two more ships were built at the Gölcük marine shipyard in Turkey. The ships received a CODAD drive with four MTU 20V diesels.

Turkey ordered four more ships of the type with the Barbaros class at the beginning of the 1990s. This Track II was equipped with a CODOG drive with two MTU 16V diesels and two LM2500-30 gas turbines. Track II was a little heavier at 3350 ts (fully loaded), got a Mk48 VLS starter instead of the Sea Sparrow starter and was a little faster at 31+ knots. These frigates were designed in such a way that they can inflict maximum damage with few losses in surface combat. They received little anti-aircraft and anti -submarine capabilities, but a strong Sea Zenith CIWS system.

So far Turkey has owned the F240 Yavuz (Blohm + Voss, in active service since October 11, 1987), F241 Turgut Reis (HDW, Kiel, in active service since February 4, 1988), F 242 Fatih (Gölcük-Marinewerft, since 12 October 1988 in active service), F243 Yilderim (Gölcük naval shipyard, in active service since November 17, 1989). From Track II the Hayreddin Barbarossa (Blohm + Voss, in active service since May 23, 1997), F245 Oruc Reis (Gölcük-Marinewerft, in active service since May 23, 1997), F 246 Salih Reis (Blohm + Voss, since July 22, 1998 in active service) and the F247 Kemal Reis (Gölcük Marinewerft, in active service since June 8, 2000).

It also has six submarine class 214 units .

Ukraine

In 2013, Heckler and Koch delivered hunting rifles, sport rifles, self-loading rifles, self-loading shotguns and parts for rifles to the Ukraine.

United States

US Marine with Heckler & Koch M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle near Khan Neshin in Afghanistan, March 2012

The US is also buying German weapons. In addition to 96 Fuchs tanks , licenses for the production of 120 mm smoothbore cannons for the approx. 6000 Abrams main battle tanks were also sold between 1999 and 2008 . The USA purchased 182 German-made guided missiles. Otherwise, parts for weapon systems, such as parts for tanks and armored vehicles, for combat aircraft, rockets, grenades, bombs as well as communication and navigation equipment and radar systems were mainly purchased from Germany. Above all, investments were made in German electronic target acquisition systems and optical weapon target systems.

The US is buying the HK416 fully automatic assault rifle for its special forces. It is used by the Delta Force . In addition, the HK416 is used in the unit network of the United States Special Operations Command ( DEVGRU and US Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group ). A modified variant is introduced by the United States Marine Corps as the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle .

United Arab Emirates

Arms exports to the UAE

In 1999, the licenses for arms exports to the United Arab Emirates amounted to the equivalent of 172 million euros, making the country fifth among the recipient countries. ^{: 14f.} In the following years, the number of permits was in the double-digit million range, before exports worth more than 300 million euros were approved in 2005 - the majority for war weapons - making the Emirates the third most important recipient country this year. ^{: 23f.} The actual exports of war weapons this year only amounted to a volume of 63,000 euros; in 2008 they rose sharply and reached the equivalent of 88 million euros. ^{: 39}

A new high for export permits was reached in 2009 when exports worth 541 million euros were approved, of which war weapons amounted to 156 million euros. The Emirates were thus the second most important recipient country ^{.: 18} In the following years, the value of export permits was also in the three-digit million range, in 2013 ^{: 34} and 2014 ^{: 34} this also applied for the first time to actual war weapons exports, the volume of which then fell significantly again.

The Federal Security Council approved several orders from the United Arab Emirates in 2014: the country received four Wisent 2 pioneer tanks, 20,000 mortar shell detonators from Junghans Microtec ( Diehl Group ), around 3,000 HK MP7 submachine guns and over 80,000 rounds of ammunition.

In the coalition negotiations for the formation of the new government , the Union and the SPD agreed on an export ban for countries directly involved in the Yemen war - including the UAE - in early 2018 , and in the coalition agreement also a grandfathering for previously granted permits. In May 2019, however, it was reported that the Emirates, unlike Saudi Arabia, could continue to be supplied with weapons, this year permits worth 257 million euros were granted. ^{: 116}

United Kingdom

British fox as a radar transport in Kuwait, 2003

The United Kingdom has been buying German weapons for around 2 billion euros since 1999. The island nation acquired 232 Eurofighter aircraft (incoming, German-Italian-British-Spanish joint project) and 14 A330-200 tank aircraft (incoming, from EADS ). 25 A400M transport aircraft and 137 Tornado combat aircraft have been ordered. Various ammunition (including SMArt 155 , 40mm, 27mm-FAP), G36 assault rifles were bought. The country manufactures the G3 assault rifle and the MP5 submachine gun under license. Fuchs tanks are part of the infantry equipment in Great Britain .

Significant arms exports

South African MEKO SAS Mendi on the transfer trip in the Neustädter Bucht 2004

"Export hit" Leopard 2 : The tank was u. a. delivered to Chile, Israel, Qatar and Turkey. Here a LEO2-A6 HEL of the Greek Army in Athens.

• January 1980: MEKO-360 frigate to Nigeria
• February 1991: Delivery of 36 German Fuchs armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia
• 1992: Despite a UN arms embargo , H & K-G3 assault rifles marked by the Ulm Proofing Office were delivered to Yugoslavia and used by Serbian snipers against Bosnian Muslims.
• January 1992: Submarines to Taiwan
• January 1999: Spain decides to purchase 115,000 pieces of the HK G36 as an orderly weapon for its armed forces and receives a manufacturing license for it.
• June 2000: 1200 bazookas delivered to Saudi Arabia
• December 2002: Delivery of Fuchs armored transport vehicles to Israel
• September 2004: 20 Fuchs type wheeled armored vehicles to Iraq
• September 2004: MEKO frigate SAS Mendi from Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (Kiel) arrives in South Africa and is put into service by the SAN.
• October 2004: Export of submarines to Israel
• November 2005: Sale of 298 used Leopard 2 tanks to Turkey and delivery of two Dolphin submarines to Israel
• June 2006: 150 Dingo 2 sold to Israel
• April 2007: The then government of Norway decided to introduce the Heckler & Koch HK416 as the new standard weapon for all branches of the armed forces and purchased large numbers of the weapon.
• May 2009: Delivery of 36 Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Qatar and, in the summer of 2009, 24 self-propelled howitzers 2000 .
• April 2010: Delivery of 3 MEKO corvettes to Israel
• September 2012: Egypt signs a contract for the delivery of two Class 209 submarines.
• November 2012: The Algerian Ministry of Defense orders two German frigates, and the German government guarantees the construction of 2.13 billion euros, including logistics and service, support, training, spare parts, documentation, services in connection with the ship test, ammunition and helicopters.
• December 2012: Launchers for bazookas and bunker-breaking ammunition are delivered to Israel.

Major arms exporters

Buyers of small arms from Germany in 2006: This foreign trade does not have to be approved by the Federal Security Council, but is problematic in many cases (spread in crisis regions).

A number of companies and consortia in Germany manufacture weapons, some of which fall under the War Weapons Control Act. Most of them are "conglomerates" which - in addition to a civilian - have a military branch. Major exporters are by size

Airbus Group

The Airbus Group (formerly EADS ) is the largest, partly German arms exporter. The consortium sold arms and other armaments worth $ 16.36 billion in 2010. This makes EADS the seventh largest arms company in the world. EADS operates in five business areas: Airbus (Bremen, Hamburg), Cassidian , Eurocopter , Airbus Military and Astrium . EADS is a consortium in which various companies and consortia hold shares: Daimler, a group made up of KfW, the states of Hamburg, Bremen, Lower Saxony, as well as Deutsche Bank, the French holding company SOGEADE and the Spanish state holding SEPI. Cassidian builds u. a. Guided missiles and defense electronics. The Eurocopter division produces helicopters for civil and military use (Tiger combat helicopter, NATO Helicopter 90 (NH 90)). Airbus Military sells tankers based on the civil Airbus A 310 and A 330 aircraft. Astrium produces, among other things, military reconnaissance and communication satellites.

Rheinmetall

Rheinmetall mainly manufactures army weapons. The Düsseldorf-based group develops, produces and exports military wheeled vehicles, light armored vehicles and tanks (Fuchs 1 and Fuchs 2, GTK Boxer) and tanks such as the Puma infantry fighting vehicle , the Leopard 2 A6, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 and others. The MG3 machine gun, which has been in production for decades, also comes from Rheinmetall. The group also supplies the Bundeswehr with ammunition of various types, such as these and others. a. used in the war in Afghanistan.

Diehl Defense

Diehl Defense in Baden-Württemberg is 45 percent owned by the French Thales Group . The company develops and exports missiles, rocket engines and detonators ( Junghans Microtec ).

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann is privately owned, with the Bode and von Braunbehrens families being the main shareholders. Together with Rheinmetall, KMW produces the Leopard 2 battle tank, the Panzerhaubitze 2000, the Puma infantry fighting vehicle, the Fennek armored reconnaissance vehicle and the Dingo and Boxer armored transporters.

Heckler

Heckler & Koch builds all kinds of guns and handguns. H&K supplies at least 88 countries directly with their weapons, including the police and armies of most NATO countries. In at least 92 countries, security forces are armed with weapons developed by the company. According to the Small Arms Survey 2001, the G3 , which wasmanufactured until 2003, wasone of the most produced rapid-fire rifles in the world with over 7 million copies, well behind the Russian Kalashnikov AK-47 (70-100 million). G3 rifles from non-German production by licensees are used worldwide, often also in crisis regions and wars.

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems builds the MEKO corvettes deliveredto Israel, Malaysia and New Zealand. Submarines go to Israel, Turkey and other countries.

Tognum / MTU Friedrichshafen

Tognum AG / MTU Friedrichshafen builds drives a. a. for tanks and delivers them to China. The company on Lake Constance has also been developing guided missiles since the 1960s.

Sig Sauer

SIG Sauer or its US subsidiary SIG Sauer USA Incorporated supplied (according to research by Daniel Harrich and the SWR ) many third countries (illegal according to German legal opinion) with handguns and thus became the largest small arms dealer located in the USA. For example, the subsidiary of the German arms manufacturer received export permits to Mexico worth up to 266 million from the US State Department , for which it needed a permit from the German government , which it did not issue.

literature

• Joachim Krause: Germany's arms export policy on trial. In: IPSK Policy Brief No. 7. Kiel. 2019. p. 3ff.
• Robert Glawe: The Federal Security Council as a security and armaments coordination element. In: German administrative gazette. 2012, p. 329 ff.
• Jan Zähle: The Federal Security Council. In: The State. Vol. 44 (2005), p. 462 ff.

Web links

• List of all reports by the federal government on its export policy for conventional armaments
• waffenexporte.org - Information portal on German arms exports from MP Jan van Aken (Die Linke)
• rib-ev.de - Independent information portal on arms production and export including library and archive on peace and conflict research
• bicc.de - SPD- related research center, Bonn International Center for Conversion
• ohne-ruestung-leben.de - Ecumenical peace initiative "Live without armament"

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 1999 (Arms Export Report 1999). In: ruestungsexport.info. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
2. ^ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2000 (Armaments Export Report 2000). In: ruestungsexport.info. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
3. ^ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2001 (Armaments Export Report 2001). In: ruestungsexport.info. December 18, 2002, accessed February 10, 2019 . 
4. ^ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2002 (Armaments Export Report 2002). In: ruestungsexport.info. December 17, 2003, accessed February 10, 2019 . 
5. ^ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2003 (Armaments Export Report 2003). In: ruestungsexport.info. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
6. ^ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2004 (Armaments Export Report 2004). In: ruestungsexport.info. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
7. ↑ ^{a b} Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2005 (Armaments Export Report 2005). In: ruestungsexport.info. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
8. ^ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2006 (Armaments Export Report 2006). In: ruestungsexport.info. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
9. ↑ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2007 (Armaments Export Report 2007). In: ruestungsexport.info. January 2009, accessed February 10, 2019 . 
10. ↑ ^{a b} Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2008 (Armaments Export Report 2008). In: ruestungsexport.info. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
11. ↑ ^{a b} Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2009 (Armaments Export Report 2009). In: ruestungsexport.info. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
12. ^ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2010 (Armaments Export Report 2010). In: ruestungsexport.info. Retrieved February 10, 2019 . 
13. ↑ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2011 (Armaments Export Report 2011). In: ruestungsexport.info. September 2012, accessed February 10, 2019 . 
14. ^ Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2012 (Armaments Export Report 2012). In: ruestungsexport.info. October 2013, accessed February 10, 2019 . 
15. ↑ ^{a b c} Report of the Federal Government on its export policy for conventional armaments in 2013 (Armaments Export Report 2013). In: ruestungsexport.info. May 2014, accessed February 10, 2019 . 
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