According to local media, the German air force only has four combat ready Typhoon jets out of 128.

The Luftwaffe is dealing with a “massive problem” that has left all but four of its 128 Typhoon jets unavailable for combat missions, according to a report by German news outlet Spiegel.

It’s understood that the readiness issues are compounded by a lack of air-combat missiles. Because of that shortfall, only four of the fighters are currently ready for combat missions, according to Spiegel. According to the article:

“The problem is complicated. Put simply, all “Eurofighters” on the wings have a sensor that detects enemy jets or attacks and warns the pilot. About half a year ago, it was discovered that the pod is no longer properly cooled.”

According to other reports, Germany’s air force is in ‘dire straits’ and funds are urgently needed to modernise its weaponry and systems.

“The Luftwaffe is at a low point,” Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, who took over as chief of staff of the air force about a month ago, told 200 industry executives. Gerhartz said his assessment followed visits to various air force sites and discussions with troops that revealed serious deficits in the readiness of aircraft and other equipment.

“Aircraft are grounded due to a lack of spare parts, or they aren’t even on site since they’re off for maintenance by the industry,” he said. According to Reuters, he said a 400-hour inspection of the Eurofighter combat jets now took a total of 14 months, twice as long as planned, and this was unacceptable.

His comments followed recent reports by the defence ministry and the German parliament’s military ombudsman that revealed significant gaps in military equipment and personnel.