Germany’s export of portable war weapons, including machine guns, mortars and anti-tank rockets, has nearly doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year.
According to a response from the German government to a small inquiry by the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) group, reported by the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ), the government approved the export of so-called small and light weapons, as well as related weapon parts, worth a total of 402.1 million euros by the end of December 2024. In 2023, the value of such exports was 205.7 million euros.
Under international definition, small arms are weapons designed for military use that can be carried by a single soldier, such as machine pistols, assault rifles, or light machine guns. Light weapons, on the other hand, are also portable but are typically used by multiple soldiers, such as heavy machine guns or anti-aircraft cannons. The main recipients of the German-approved small arms in 2024 were Ukraine, with imports worth 75.6 million euros, followed by Norway (27.2 million euros) and Latvia (10.9 million euros).
German parliamentarian Sevim Dagdelen (BSW) sharply criticized the results. “The doubling of the deliveries of small and light weapons is a clear abandonment of a restrained arms export policy, which the SPD and the Greens once embarked on” she told the NOZ. “A ban on exports is overdue. The approvals by Habeck and Co. are irresponsible, as small and light weapons cause more deaths and murders worldwide than any other type of weapon” Dagdelen said.