Military order for 8,500 armoured vehicles readied

Germany is preparing more than 60 military procurement orders for parliamentary approval by the end of this year, including the purchase of 20 Eurofighter jets, as many as 5,000 Boxer armoured vehicles and at least 3,500 Patria Oyj armored vehicles, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Defence Minister Boris Pistorius briefed lawmakers on Monday about the government's priorities to turn Germany’s Bundeswehr armed forces into Europe's strongest conventional army, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are confidential.

The German cabinet is set to approve its medium-term financial planning on Wednesday that will see its annual defence budget more than double to as much as €162 billion (6 trillion baht) within four years.

That annual tally should be achieved by 2029, well ahead of the Nato alliance's target for military outlays to reach 3.5% of gross domestic product by 2035.