Germany plans to buy Australian-made combat vehicles

BERLIN (AP) — The German government says that Berlin plans to buy more than 100 Australian-made combat vehicles as it moves ahead with plans to modernize its armed forces. German and Australian officials signed an agreement on Thursday to cooperate on the procurement of the new combat reconnaissance vehicles, based on the Boxer family of armored fighting vehicles and equipped with a 30-millimeter gun. The Defense Ministry said the aim is for deliveries to start in 2025. It didn’t give a price for the purchase. However, it said the money will come from a special 100 billion-euro ($108 billion) fund for the modernization of the military.