Germany has approved nearly 800 million euros ($913 million) in arms export licences to Israel during the first five months of 2026, surpassing the total approved in the previous 20 months combined, the German government confirmed. According to a Federal Foreign Office response to a parliamentary question from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, most approvals were granted in April and May.

More than 60 percent of the value of these licences is allocated to a single, unnamed "major maritime project." Analysts suggest this project likely involves a submarine built by the German manufacturer TKMS, which was officially handed over to the Israeli Navy last week, according to German media reports. Additionally, Germany is reported to be financing about 30 percent of the costs for the Drakon submarine and roughly one-third of the future Dakar class.

In the broader context, licences for arms exports in Germany reached 13.87 billion euros ($15.8 billion) in the first half of 2026, more than four times the amount during the same period in 2025, according to the Arms Export Report published by the Ministry of Economics in mid-July.

Military analyst Wezeman noted that Germany is set to double its military spending from below 2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to a target of 3.5 percent within a few years. He stated, "Germany is now the largest military spender in Europe [not counting Russia], and its arms industry is a core component of the European military-industrial base."

These developments come despite the German government's expressed concerns about the devastation caused by Israel's military operations in Gaza.

Sources