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Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the number of military industry enterprises in Germany has increased significantly, leading to a sharp rise in membership of the Federal Association of Defense Industry Enterprises and Security Equipment Manufacturers, Deutsche Welle reports.
“Currently, there are 340 companies in our association—100 more than at the end of last year,” said the association’s CEO, Hans-Christoph Atzpodien, as quoted by dpa.
When Atzpodien assumed his role in 2017, the association had only 70 members.
Many of the new entrants come from the automotive sector. Amid a crisis in Germany’s auto industry, some companies are now shifting focus to defense contracts. However, the transition is complex: the Bundeswehr requires a special security clearance to access classified information before companies can be authorized to produce weapons. According to Atzpodien, this process in Germany takes considerable time.
Read also: Ukraine Reportedly Submits Secret Weapons Request to Germany – Bild
