Europe is rearm and the prosperous German industry. According to a preliminary count of CNBC, the total value of the exports of the German weapons would reach 13.2 billion euros in 2024, more than double compared to 2020 (5.82 billion), indicates the US media.
In the first quarter of 2025, the provisional figures of the Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy indicated that Germany exported 1,500 million euros in military teams, including 846 million for weapons of war and 621 million for other types of equipment.
The main winning country remains Ukraine, which has acquired 573 million euros in German teams. Since the beginning of the war in 2022, Germany has delivered vehicles such as leopard tanks or armored vehicles, patriot air defense systems, artillery systems, drones or even assault rifles.
According to the SIPRI classification, Germany was in the fifth range of the largest export countries of military teams for the 2020-2024 period, with the main Ukraine, Egypt and Israel clients.
In total for the first quarter of 2025, the “nearby partners” (EU, NATO, NATO near NATO) represented 80% of arms exports. Qatar is the second in the second position after Ukraine, followed by Estonia.
An unexpected gain for companies
German armament manufacturers have good results in terms of billing, but also market assessment.
Therefore, the Rheinmetall conglomerate, which produces armored and ammunition ammunition and continues to extend its product portfolio, showed a turnover of 9.7 billion euros in 2024, including more than one third of sales made in the European market. According to a BFM Stock Exchange count, its action has multiplied by 12 since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, an increase of more than 1,100%.
For the Motu Aero Engines engine manufacturer, the year 2024 was marked by a 13% increase in the billing of the military division. The military activities of the engine manufacturer, which produces among others the Eurofighter and A400M reactors, focus mainly on Germany and Europe, a CNBC spokesman said.
The same bell sound for Hensoldt, former airbus subsidiary, which provides electronic systems and sensors, of which 87.8% of the income comes from European customers.
As for Renk, which significantly produces speed boxes for vehicles or ships, 27% of its billing (of a total of 1.14 billion euros) was generated by sales to Germany, specifies CNBC.
The Thyssenkrupp steel giant subsidiary, which specializes in naval defense systems, also exports mainly to Europe: Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems has produced almost 60% of its sales in Western Europe, including half in Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein and Switzerland.
These good results and the growing place of the German weapons industry have caused controversies and debates at the political level, especially for sales to Israel and Ukraine.
Source: BFM TV
