In the event of war, some countries’ ammunition stocks would only last a few days, experts say. NATO is therefore now planning to take stock.
Brussels – If war were to occur, the ammunition stocks of the NATO member states would look bad, according to an expert assessment. In view of the ongoing Ukraine war, this would be a delicate situation.
Ammunition shortage in NATO? How much is stored where is strictly confidential
Exactly how much ammunition each member state owns is strictly confidential. However, experts estimate that should the country go into a state of war, the camps would be empty after a few days nv citing security circles. The topic will probably also come up on the table when the defense ministers of the NATO allies hit the target on February 14-15.
Each of the member countries would have an individually imposed target for their own ammunition stocks. Even before the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, these goals were said not to have been met by most states. Measured against NATO requirements, Germany’s ammunition stock alone would have a deficit of 20 billion euros.
“Ammunition used up within days” – Europe’s ammunition depot raises questions
The Federal Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the debate. A European diplomat, however, declared: “Should Europe have to fight Russia, some countries would run out of ammunition in a matter of days,” he said nv. According to another anonymous whistleblower, NATO therefore wants to take stock of the situation.
“It was a lost year,” said the chairwoman of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, most recently in the Bundestag. In their view, repeat orders should have been placed at the same time as the decision to supply arms and equipment to Ukraine. “It’s very, very, very annoying that that didn’t happen and that it’s only being done now, even though we’re already 12 months old,” said the FDP politician.
“It is crucial that the money is made available.” – FDP politician calls for more money for ammunition
At the end of last year, the Bundeswehr was provided with a special fund of 100 billion euros. However, the category “ammunition” is not provided for in it. Strack-Zimmermann therefore demanded that money be made available from the current budget: “It is crucial that the money is made available.”
The armaments industry is currently complaining about the lack of orders from the special fund package. The FDP politician therefore called for concrete and reliable orders to be placed with companies in a timely manner: “This is the only way companies can increase their capacity accordingly,” says Strack-Zimmermann. (mlh)
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