Germany Recognizes that Most of its Military Equipment is Inoperative

Published on: Oct 31, 2018 @ 13:50 – German Defense Secretary Peter Tauber said only one-third of military equipment adopted in service in 2017 could be considered to be in good condition, according to the German daily Stuttgarter Nachrichten.

Of the 97 combat vehicles delivered, only 38 are fully operational, representing about 37% of the total number. Meanwhile, the Bundeswehr intends to increase the military readiness rate by up to 70%.

“We, as always, think that the industry is obliged to reach the indexes indicated as soon as possible,” according to the report of Stuttgart , according to Stuttgarter Nachrichten .

The German Ministry of Defense is particularly concerned about the state of Puma infantry combat vehicles – of the 71 units being taken on duty, only 27 are ready for combat. The entity is also not satisfied with the Airbus A400M tactical military transport planes – only 4 of the 8 units are operational. As for the Eurofighter fighters purchased by the Armed Forces, only 1 of the 4 is available.

According to the opinion of German journalists, the problems are caused by Germany’s growing involvement in NATO’s military operations. The Bundeswehr participates in 15 Alliance missions.

Experts from The National Interest magazine have previously said the state of the German navy is shameful for Europe’s richest country. For analysts, because of insufficient funding and poor planning, the German Navy is not in a position to fulfill its objectives.

This month the US shipped about 100 containers of all types of bullets to Germany, the official website of the US European Command (EUCOM) reports.

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“This is the largest load of this type since Operation Allied Force 1999,” confirmed David Head, commander of Ammunition Squadron 86, who serves at the base.

“The ammunition we receive will be used in future operations theaters,” he said, quoted by the EUCOM website.

The squadron’s aviation commander, Arthur Myrick, explained that the armaments will serve the interests of NATO’s European Deterrence Initiative and will increase US military reserve military equipment in Europe.

The European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) aims to improve the response capacity and speed of troops by placing ammunition, fuel and equipment ahead of time, in turn increasing the Pentagon’s ability to respond quickly to any threat, EUCOM representatives.

The Ramstein airbase, located in southwestern Germany, is of strategic importance to the United States, being the seat of the US Air Force in Europe.