NATO Armaments in Germany: More Production, but Who Does It Serve?

US Secretary of War Hegseth and his German counterpart Pistorius have agreed in Washington to manufacture more NATO armaments in Germany. They pointed to projects already under way, such as F-35 parts in Weeze and Patriot munitions in Schrobenhausen.

Private and profit-driven

The arms industry in Germany and in the United States is private. Corporations follow profit. Contracts, licences and sites are negotiated as long as they pay off.

That means defence and profit calculation run into each other and blur the ethical boundary.

Weapons should not be a profitable commodity.

State-owned, for defence only

MENSCHLICHE WELT wants the arms industry in public hands and serving defence alone. No export business as a business model, no expansion for the sake of returns. Defence capability yes, profit machine no.

And it should stand under the control of ethical, wise and capable leaders. Control here also means responsibility: public accountability, clear limits, and leadership committed to the welfare of people, not the share price.

In practice that means: scrutinise production and licences publicly, tie capacity to real defence necessity, and pursue a politics of peace.

Armaments can serve the common good when ownership, purpose and leadership are right: state-owned, for defence only, under ethical control. That can favour security and work without profit setting the direction.