Getting there would involve a substantial increase for the Germans. There are ticklish guns and butter questions, too. Kit is being built. The UK is collaborating with the French and Italians on missile defence for ships. The UK and Germany are working on a medium-range infantry weapon to pierce tank armour.
Procurement is shot through with political considerations.
Down the road lies some tricky transatlantic bargaining - some think it as important as the geopolitics or the institutional architecture. Harmonisation of procurement has long been desired but is still far from being achieved, the Commons defence select committee said with distinct understatement. Perhaps money really is the key. Centre-left governments are learning to love soldiers. The career of Javier Solana, the ex-socialist and staunch opponent of Nato, is indicative as he moves seamlessly from Nato to head EU defence.