The Government of Spain has defended its annual increase in military spending on Thursday, despite be still far from 2% of GDP that requires NATO and that the Spanish Executive has pledged to arrive before 2029. This has been revinded in the Defense Commission of the Congress of Deputies, the Secretary of State, María Amparo Valcarce, who has described as “Historical” the increase in investment of defense spending And he recalled that in the last budget a 26% increase was compared to the previous one.
The appearance comes two days after the Ministry of Defense announced an investment of 400 million euros destined to increase the remuneration of the members of the Armed Forces. This Thursday Valcarce has insisted on the groups present in the commission that more than 60% of the investment is dedicated to weapons and material programs, “but above all to special modernization programs.”
In 2024 the budget of the Ministry of Defense was 17,523 million euros, 1.28 % of GDPand the forecasts for this year are to reach the 1.32%. With this, Spain intends to calm the pressures of the United States, NATO and the European Union to increase its military spending, although its figures are still far from 2% already committed light years of meeting the new requirements of the United States to increase spending on spending Defense up to 5% of GDP.
In this line, the new NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, has also been shown, which defends that Raise “probably” above 3%although it will have to be approved at the next summit of The Hague, at the end of June. Along the same lines, also the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has been in favor of the Member States to “significantly” their defense expense.
Delays in the delivery of the armor ‘8×8 dragon’
Asked about the delays in the delivery of armored vehicles 8×8 Dragon, Valcarce has drawn attention to the manufacturer consortium, Tess Defense, but has avoided confirming if it will impose a fine for the years of delays accumulated by the program, before the PP questions , Vox and UPN. At the end of 2024, Indra took control of the consortium, which is part of Escribano, Sapa Placencia and Santa Barbara Systems, which did not prevent it from being They will deliver the 92 units of 8×8 committed. The calendar has been reprogrammed and now the delivery of that number for February is expected.
“The industry has to do more because the delivery of vehicles in production has been delayed and the objectives for 2024 have not been met,” said Valcarce, which has recognized that “since the late 2024 and January 2025 they have completed All rolling tests already early February The first units for acceptance tests have already been made available“
Although in recent months some information pointed out that the Ministry of Defense could impose a fine on the consortium, the Secretary of State has recognized that the program is “complex” and has praised the “industrial transformation” that has brought its development, but He has avoided clarifying if there will be fines.
Asked about the situation of Colonel Vicente Infante, who was responsible for the 8×8 Dragon program and since December has ceased to be, Valcarce has denied that it was a cessation And he has confirmed that he requested the relay at his own request and his pass to the reservation. Thus, he has told the deputy that “insinuating or pointing out any other cause does not harm the program or the Ministry of Defense, but, in a Lodazal, drags the good name of a military.”
#government #revinds #historical #increase #military #spending #due #increase #international #pressure #reach
