German military forces suffer from a lack of equipment.
“Attacks on Germany could follow potentially without warning and with a large effect of causing damage,” according to a recently published military document entitled “Operational Guidelines for the Army”. The army must be ready for an imposed war.
But it’s no longer a secret, the German armed forces suffer from a severe “shortage of everything”, from weapons to proper helmets, said Eva Hogl, Bundeswehr Parliamentary Commissioner.”The Bundeswehr is missing everything from personal items such as personal equipment, small devices, night vision equipment, radios, to larger devices. Our soldiers face shortages every day. It makes education and training difficult”she warned.
Hoglova said that she will point out these shortcomings in the annual report that she will present to the parliament tomorrow. Hoglova criticized the government for being too slow in filling the gaps in weapons created after the deliveries to Ukraine, and she praised Defense Minister Boris Pistorius for admitting that the troops, in their current state, are not capable of defending anyone.
“Hardly anything of the 100 billion euros promised by the government has been paid for the purchase of ammunition“, said Hoglova, who also complained about the general state of military infrastructure, from barracks to training facilities. Over the past few decades, the Bundeswehr has sold off many of its Cold War-era bunkers – meaning that the military, if and only if has ammunition for a 30-day combat operation as prescribed by NATO, had to find storage for it.
Just investment promises
After the Russian attack on Ukraine, German politicians promised to strengthen the Bundeswehr by allocating an additional 100 billion euros for equipment and taking a leading role internationally. But little has changed. In recent days, alarming headlines have appeared in the German media about the state of the army, suggesting that the Bundeswehr would only have enough ammunition for two days of intense fighting. That figure was apparently leaked from unnamed well-informed sources.
If that is true, Germany’s ammunition stocks are significantly below NATO standards, which requires each member to have 30 days of ammunition in stock. Just to make up for this shortfall, Germany has to allocate 20-30 billion euros, say defense experts. Stories of malfunctioning tanks and helicopters, guns that don’t fire properly and soldiers who have to train outside in winter without thermal clothing have filled the media columns for years.
Does Scholz understand the situation
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a turnaround, which many in Germany and beyond welcomed as a change in approach to foreign policy and military strategy. To show that he was serious, Scholz announced an increase in defense spending, which became the largest in all of Europe, as well as a one-time “special fund” of 100 billion euros for the modernization of the army.
Many are now wondering where that pile of money is. The munitions dispute has sparked a tussle between the government and the German defense industry over who should take the initiative, should the industry increase capacity first or should the government take care of faster orders?
Worry about the Bundeswehr
NATO members in northeastern Europe are already worried that Germany will not be a military partner they can rely on. At a conference in Berlin at the end of October, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks posed a provocative question to his European colleagues: “We are ready to die, and you?” Addressing the Germans, he said: “Much will depend on the military power of your country. I’m sorry to say this, but your military power is currently non-existent”.
(WORLD/Political)