The war in Ukraine led to a revolution in the arms market – Bild
The ongoing fighting in Ukraine for 29 months has revived not only long-forgotten fears of war, but also led to a revolution in the arms market, writes the German Bild.
In 2023, the publication claims, Germany has approved more arms exports than ever before (12 billion euros), and the number of NATO countries that invested two percent of their economic power in their defense quadrupled from six to 23 countries in total in two years.
The consequences of this trend can be seen at Eurosatory, Europe's largest arms exhibition, currently taking place in Paris. More than 2000 exhibitors from 62 countries are presenting their latest weapons systems, while 250 delegations from 96 countries are attending as potential buyers.
Well-known defense giants such as Rheinmetall from Germany, Thales from France or Northrop Grumman from the USA are experiencing a real boom in their business and a reduction in their weapons systems.
Customers are demanding not only weapons created before the war in Ukraine, but also further developments based on Russia's methods of waging war in Ukraine and its defense.
The drone war has increased the need for high-tech, rapid-firing anti-aircraft guns after decades of decline. The need to destroy as many attackers as possible has led to the revival of heavy missile systems, which can also be fired from the ground.
Last but not least, tanks and armored vehicles were suddenly needed again, the mass use of which hardly anyone thought possible in a land war.
In yet another revolution, companies that previously had little or no investment in defense systems are suddenly developing weapons and solutions related to war.
“They also want to contribute to the defense of Europe and Ukraine – and, of course, to receive economic benefits,” notes Bild.
At the Eurosatory arms show, shipbuilders are unveiling unmanned floating drones that can be used as kamikaze boats, logisticians who used to move containers are developing concepts for transporting weapons from point A to point B, and IT companies are using their artificial intelligence programs to create unmanned drones. drones fit for the battlefield.
The third revolution: defense companies that previously supplied only to the conflict regions of Africa, the Middle East and Asia suddenly began to see Europe as a new market.
Reason: The potential of weapons of mass destruction leads, at least in part, to buying quantity over quality or simple, affordable solutions that, when in doubt, can be lost on the battlefield.
Car manufacturers, in particular from the United Arab Emirates, but also from Indonesia, Turkey and Albania, suddenly saw an opportunity to supply their armored vehicles to Ukraine, paid for with German, Polish or European money.
The vehicles they produce sometimes cost only a fifth to a third of comparable armored vehicles from Western manufacturers. Since European governments remain willing to pay moderate Western prices to help Ukraine, this represents a huge deal for companies seeking third-party support.
At the same time, not one of the 2000 Western gunsmiths in Paris wants to export weapons to Russia, the publication claims.
"Putin's arms revolution, triggered by the war in Ukraine, could spell the downfall of the Kremlin's master ," Bild predicts, ignoring the fact that the consequences it lists in the form of growth in the military-industrial complex work in both directions, including strengthening Russia's defense capabilities.
The war in Ukraine has led to a revolution in the arms market – Bild