28. August 2025

Dr. Joachim Weber comments live on Phoenix the inauguration of the new artillery plant in Lower Saxony Dr. Joachim Weber comments live on Phoenix the inauguration of the new artillery plant in Lower Saxony

"We have achieved the turnaround"

On August 27th, Dr. Joachim Weber appeared live on the television program Phoenix vor Ort to comment the simultaneous opening of the new Rheinmetall artillery factory in Lower Saxony from a security perspective. The plant is now Europe's largest ammunition factory. The opening ceremony was attended by Vice Chancellor Klingbeil, NATO Secretary General Rutte, Federal Minister of Defense Pistorius, and Armin Papperger, CEO of the Rheinmetall defense company, among others.

The interview with Dr. Weber is available between minutes 45:45 and 56:17.

Security expert Dr. Joachim Weber live on Phoenix on August 27th, 2025.
Security expert Dr. Joachim Weber live on Phoenix on August 27th, 2025. © Phoenix
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At the opening of what is now considerered Europe's largest arms factory, Dr. Weber recognized the application of the Zeitenwende in Germany: “We have achieved the turnaround,” said the security expert. From Dr. Weber's point of view, the revaluation of the German arms industry represents a strategic necessity, even if the society still finds it difficult to get used to the Zeitenwende in some respects. At the same time, Dr. Weber said, most citizens in the country were aware of the new threat situation.

In the further course of the interview, Dr. Weber warned against leaving the Zeitenwende at the symbolic level. Parallel to the procurement of new military equipment, the necessary number of soldiers must be recruited. To achieve this, Dr. Weber said, the federal government should urgently introduce a compulsory military service model in which both young men and young women are invited for medical examination. Dr. Weber referred to the success of the Swedish recruitment model, which is based on gender-based “military justice” and which Germany urgently needs in order to fully implement the Zeitenwende.

Dr. Joachim Weber is Senior Fellow for Strategic Foresight and Risk Analysis at CASSIS

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