According to a report, the federal government has again approved several large arms exports abroad – including to countries that are neither members of NATO nor the EU. The weapons are to go to the African Sahel state of Niger and to India, as the “Spiegel” reported on Tuesday, citing a decision by the secret Federal Security Council. The federal government informed selected members of the Bundestag about the export permits on Monday.
The Republic of Niger is to receive two King Air 360 ER propeller planes that have been converted for border surveillance. According to “Spiegel”, the armament package also includes radio and video surveillance technology – such as marine surveillance radars and thermal imaging cameras.
Niger is currently Germany’s closest partner in the politically unstable Sahel region. Bundeswehr soldiers are stationed in the country; their number is expected to increase further when the Bundeswehr mission in neighboring Mali ends.
Exports worth 2.2 million euros
According to “Spiegel”, the Federal Security Council also approved an extensive armaments package for India. This includes technical equipment, such as for gears that are used in the Leopard 2 battle tank and other combat vehicles; also four gears for the development of a prototype for a weapon carriage, six high-tech binoculars, pumps, pipes and production documents for the manufacture of components such as those used in the Boxer armored personnel carrier.
According to the report, the federal government states a cost volume of around 2.2 million euros for the approved arms exports to India. No information was given on the value of the planned exports to Niger.
In addition, the federal government wants to deliver twelve combat helicopters of the type H145M to the EU partner Cyprus, which the Bundeswehr also uses for the elite association “Kommando Spezialkrafte” (KSK). The cost of selling the armed helicopters is not mentioned in the letter from the business department.
The decision to export armaments is made by the Federal Security Council. The committee meets in secret under the chairmanship of the Federal Chancellor.
The permanent members of the Federal Security Council include the defense minister, the foreign minister, the interior minister, the heads of finance, economics and justice, as well as the development minister and the head of the Federal Chancellery.
Because of the secrecy, the federal government is not allowed to “publicly comment on questions about the Federal Security Council,” as it says on its website. (AFP)
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Source: Tagesspiegel
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