There are only a few Germans who are happy about the outcome of the US election, but an armament manager is one of them: "We now have two good sellers: Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Donald Trump in Washington," he says to be named. He is not alone with his opinion: The manufacturers of tanks, aircraft and mariners are looking forward to more orders in the future.

After the invasion of the Russians on the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, more than two years ago, a turnaround began in Europe with the shrinkage of the armies and their equipment. It was restocked instead of dismantled. Now the western armaments companies are making even more hope of good business.

The new US President Trump has announced that the Europeans can no longer rely on the protective shield of the Americans within NATO. They should even increase their military spending on the NATO target of at least two per cent of their economic output, while Trump also wants to raise the arms margin in their own country.

That would mean many billions of euros and dollars for new weapons. "Europe must adapt itself to the fact that it is better to take care of itself," said Federal Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU). This also includes a higher defense budget.

Donald Trump wants more armament spending from Europe

In the spring, the minister had already announced to add some 140 billion euros to the defense by the year 2030. In view of the long period, the price increase, the need for modernization of the force and a defense rate of 36.6 billion euro for 2017, experts estimated the sum as far too low.

It would actually be roughly 250 billion euros, says the armaments industry - of course not without interest. Germany, with its armament expenditure of 1.19 per cent of the gross domestic product, was ranked 16th in the NATO ranking. The USA ranks first with 3.6 percent. Trump allegedly abolishes this imbalance.

Still no one knows exactly what plans the future US president actually pursued in the security policy and what was only election campaign. In fact, the share prices of the leading Western armaments companies rose against the trend after the Trump triumph. A signal that investors are expecting additional business for the industry.

The share of BAE Systems, the largest European armaments company based in London, rose by a good six percent on Wednesday. The share of Lockheed Martin, the largest US armaments company, rose equally. The winners on the stock exchange included the Airbus Group and Rheinmetall.

Uniform appearance in the security policy required

Behind the scenes, at least in the German armaments industry, however, is also to be heard that the expected order is more likely to go to foreign companies. German Minister of Economic Affairs, Sigmar Gabriel (SPD), is increasing the number of exports to customers outside NATO. There is, however, not only an anxiety and a need for upheaval in the population of East European countries on the border with Russia.

There are conflicts and tensions all over the world. Companies that are uncomplicated and secure in the long term are asked. Instead of national alliances, a uniform presence in the security policy, in the external borders and thus also in the armaments, would be necessary in Europe, according to company representatives.

At the moment, there are new and used tanks, howitzers and ammunition in Europe. "The motto is: Better, I have something as nothing to have," says a manager. For example, states would have set aside weapons.

Scrapping of German combatants stopped

One proof of the change is the announcement from the Federal Ministry of Defense in the spring of 2015: the levy or scrapping of German combatants was stopped. The previous target size of 225 combat tanks Leopard 2 is again to be jacked up by 100 used and then modernized Leos, it said.

The tanks are in a secret warehouse of the armaments company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), who has been in a joint venture with the French armaments group Nexter for almost a year. KMW repurchased the tanks to a large extent from Austria.