Rüstung

According to calculations by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute [SIPRI] (2021), US$ 1,981 billion was spent on armaments worldwide in 2020, of which the USA alone accounted for 39%, the NATO states for over 50% and if allied countries such as Israel and Saudi Arabia are included, the share even adds up to over 60%. Germany's spending has increased by 28% since 2011, while the global average was 9.3%. A large part of these resources goes into armament, i.e. the planning, production and acquisition of military goods, which is a process based on political decisions. With global arms spending reaching new ”peaks” year after year, the two main Western organizations in which armament processes are organized are NATO and the European Union (EU), which has recently become increasingly active in this field. NATO's armament planning focuses on building up and maintaining capabilities for foreign missions and, more recently, again massively on the deployment of large units against Russia (and, in the future, probably also China). The European Union, on the other hand, has created structures that are not only intended to close the capability gaps identified in NATO. It is also concerned with acquiring capabilities that can be deployed as independently as possible, which is why great importance is attached to strengthening the defense industrial base. This is also seen as an important component of "strategic autonomy", which in turn is considered indispensable in order to be recognized as a great power. In particular, the combination of NATO and EU planning goals – fully supported by the last federal governments – generates immense arms pressure, which is reflected in comprehensive armament and militarization measures, some of the most important of which will be outlined in conclusion. At the end of the chapter, there are some critical reflections on the question of the causes and effects of armament or rearmament.