German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen in front of a Tornado aircraft during a visit to the German airbase in Jagel, near the German-Danish border, August 17, 2016. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
Michael Peck, National Interest: Germany's Military Is a Total Mess: No Working Submarines, New Equipment Is Defective.
Only 39 percent of new weapons delivered to the German military in 2017 were ready to be fielded. And that's just the beginning.
Only 39 percent of new weapons delivered to the German military in 2017 were ready to be fielded.
The remainder had to be modified after delivery from the manufacturers before they were ready for use.
The German Defense Ministry admitted the problem after being questioned by leftist lawmakers in Parliament last week. "Especially worrisome were Airbus A400M military transport aircraft and the Puma infantry tank delivered since 2010 by a German consortium comprising Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall Defense," according to the German newspaper Deutsche Welle.
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Update #1: Germany's military is about to get a big spending boost (Business Insider/Reuters)
Update #2: Brand-new German tanks, helicopters need improvement before deployment (DW)
WNU Editor: I think the problems in the German military are deeper than that, and throwing money at the ministry will not solve it. From my vantage point I am getting the impression that the German military lacks the military and political leadership to give it a sense of direction and purpose. Bottom line .... they need to know what their mission is and to have it articulated so that everyone understands it. As it is right now .... joining the German military has become nothing more but having a job and a pension when you retire.
