The German military is under-equipped to take on its upcoming role as leader of NATO’s Russian-aimed Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, a leaked document shows.

The Bundeswehr is due to take over leadership of NATO’s multinational Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) at the start of next year, but doesn’t have enough tanks, the Defense Ministry document said.

Specifically, the Bundeswehr’s ninth tank brigade in Münster only has nine operational Leopard 2 tanks — even though it promised to have 44 ready for the VJTF — and only three of the promised 14 Marder armored infantry vehicles.

The paper also revealed the reason for this shortfall: a lack of spare parts and the high cost and time needed to maintain the vehicles. It added that it was also lacking night-vision equipment, automatic grenade launchers, winter clothing and body armor.

The German air force is also struggling to cover its NATO duties, the document revealed. The Luftwaffe’s main forces — the Eurofighter and Tornado fighter jets and its CH-53 transport helicopters — are only available for use an average of four months a year — the rest of the time the aircraft are grounded for repairs and rearmament.

“The state for all part-time forces are similarly worrying,” Hans-Peter Bartels, parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces, told Die Welt. Opposition politicians blamed Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen for allowing the military to deteriorate.

Von der Leyen should “ask herself what she’s been doing for the last legislative period,” Green party defence spokesman Tobias Lindner said in a statement.

“Apparently it is politically more opportune to constantly announce armament intentions and trend reversals, rather finally addressing the problems of spare parts and maintenance. Von der Leyen is fully and totally responsible for the current problems.”

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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maurice10
maurice10
6 years ago

Alarming or what? For many, Germany is perceived as Europe’s ‘big brother’ nation in both financial and military matters. This must come as a wake-up call for NATO and the German people. There’s me concerned about the UK’s defences, yet its key partner has dropped the ball. Where has all that formidable military structure of the second half of the 20th Century gone? Apparently, even the Germany Navy is suffering from no operational subs, and a shortage of frigate availability??

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
6 years ago
Reply to  maurice10

No way is Germany Europe’s premier military over the UK.

maurice10
maurice10
6 years ago

It use to field many more MBT’s than BAOR. I feel sure most Europeans believe Germany has a powerful military force. This current level of German defence must amuse the Russians?

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
6 years ago
Reply to  maurice10

In perception you’re probably right. In niche capabilities I don’t believe so. Historically and forces yes. Used to be very big in the Cold War. I’m talking about now. Germany does not possess SSN, SSBN, Carriers, our amphibious capabilities, TLAM, our range of airborne ISTAR assets, RPAS and manned. A 5th generation jet like F35. Strategic lift like the C17s. Special forces of experience and capabilities of ours, and non military but still significant defence wise the comprehensive intelligence capabilities the UK has as part of 5 Eyes, that’s SIS, GCHQ, and the SS. Oh and no nukes either. No,… Read more »

maurice10
maurice10
6 years ago

If true, this report on current German military strength, means only France and the UK (apart from the US) will have the means to field the lion’s share of the EU’s defence? Ironic or what? Maybe we should remind Brussels of that fact if they get nasty over Brexit.

Goerge
Goerge
5 years ago
Reply to  maurice10

It is true about Germany military equipment out of date and need repairs.
The problem is that the German Government enjoys being the bank of Europe and not there forces. I lived and worked in Germany with the Military many year ago and I was proud the the nations military but now they just seam part of the furniture with out any hart. It is time the German people spoke out and send a message to there government to support there military and put money into to it.

Shame of Germany for allowing this to happen to a good nation.

Riga
Riga
6 years ago

It is very worrying because how often have we heard about jointery and our European allies taking the slack?
Not enough T23 or T45, the allies will help. No AEW / maritime surveillance? the allies will help.

European NATO is a busted flush and the Russians will know more than most.

David Fulop
David Fulop
6 years ago
Reply to  Riga

That is an overstatement. The Russians are all show mostly. Apart from their nukes most of their kit is straight from the eighties and in dubious state. Also they would not have the finances for a large scale war, nor do they have the incentive to attack Europe. A local insurgency campaign like un Ukraine would be impossible with the presence of even a limited NATO force that we now see in the Baltics. Preparing against a massive scale Soviet invasion is a thing of the past. It is unacceptable for the German army to be in such a shape… Read more »

Joe
Joe
6 years ago
Reply to  David Fulop

This meme has nothing to back itself up with.

80s?

I’ll take any number of T-90s over the Zero tanks the Germans have.
And Russian tanks are more advanced.

If the Russians want the Baltics, then can have them in days…. it would be over before The EU/NATO can convene a response summit.

Riga
Riga
6 years ago
Reply to  David Fulop

Why would there need to be a massive invasion? What would be the point of an invasion? They’ve shown they can take and hold the gap isolating the Baltics from the rest of NATO. NATO can not force the Baltic Sea nor use air. They would have to fight at the gap. Now take military transports loaded with helos and SF and land them on Krastmala. Russian kalibr equipped ships mallet the secret SF base at the end of Boldaraja and the militart base at Adazi. Helos deploy Russian SF to Military Academy and Alpha shopping centre objective: the Scada… Read more »

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
6 years ago
Reply to  Riga

Local knowledge I see? Good read cheers.

Riga
Riga
6 years ago

Local indeed. Something is afoot in Latvian politics with the head of the Bank of Latvia arrested for bribery and charged along with a prominent bank receiving a kick in the gonads from the US for money laundering.

Both at the same time?

And elections in 6 months.

A swing against Russian money buying influence and a crack-down on channelling funds to North Korea? One can but hope.

dadsarmy
dadsarmy
6 years ago
Reply to  Riga

With a basically non-existent Finnish and Swedish navy, or Estonian, shrug.

dadsarmy
dadsarmy
6 years ago
Reply to  Riga

Well, PESCO gets a bad press in the anti-EU UK, but should it? I think this article and the other one about the subs underlines the NEED for PESCO in the EU, to hamonise logistics, R&D, training and other things to maximise minimal budgets. I’d like to see a sympathetic article on PESCO, bearing in mind it’s stated first 17 projects. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/32082/pesco-overview-of-first-collaborative-of-projects-for-press.pdf But also where it should go, i.e. maintenance hubs, common inventory. . From that point of view the UK really doesn’t do too bad as apart from planned maintenance and repairs, it doesn”t that often have U/S equipment.… Read more »

dadsarmy
dadsarmy
6 years ago
Reply to  dadsarmy

Sorry, meant to be a main comment, not a reply.

Elliott
Elliott
6 years ago
Reply to  David Fulop

Fulop Have you even seen what the Russians have been fielding since Second Chechnya? The only Army in Eastern Europe even halfway equipped is Poland and their border is so long not only will they not deploy to the Baltics. They can’t do it not without uncovering their own border. Which in the end is a indefensible plain that has,”Invade me,” and ,”Tanks welcome,” written across it. If you were talking 1995 or 1999 you would be correct in that the Russians couldn’t do anything in Europe. It is 2018 and due to the lack of preparedness on the part… Read more »

PKCasimir
PKCasimir
6 years ago
Reply to  Elliott

Why should 325 million Americans need to defend 500 million Europeans from 145 million Russians?

David Fulop
David Fulop
6 years ago
Reply to  Elliott

Yes I have seen. More than that I have seen up close what they have in their real combat ready armoured battalions. The backbone of their army is made up by leftover SU stocks. They have the numbers on paper but it is still mostly a conscript force. Also do not forget that armor only gets you so far unless you have total air superiority which they have no chance of establishing over Europe. I am not disputing that they have a formidable military but could they afford a war with the West ? Would they want to risk a… Read more »

Slaine
Slaine
6 years ago

Let us hope that this article is not suggesting things aren’t that bad for HM armed forces after all. The foundations of NATO are beginning to look very shaky. Its obvious to see why the US have been making noises about member nations spending as agreed on defence.

Are France now the primary military power in western Europe?

Lewis
Lewis
6 years ago
Reply to  Slaine

The grass always looks greener on the other side. Don’t be foolish in thinking that just because Germany’s military is falling apart and ours is riven by the usual flaws doesn’t mean that France’s military is sqeaky clean and ready to go. Seeing as their chief of staff publicly resigned over the state of their armed forces obviously things aren’t going well.

Joe
Joe
6 years ago
Reply to  Slaine

France’s is probably the best.

David Steeper
6 years ago
Reply to  Joe

The French military doesnt think so.

Alex
Alex
6 years ago

Europe has never been more vulnerable than it is right now. Donald Trump.has been proven right in his assertions that NATO countries have been taking American support for granted and relying on that support so that they don’t have to pay the upkeep on their own armed forces.
At this stage if i were in Mays or Trumps shoes I’d withdraw military support until our supposed partners started pulling their weight

David
David
6 years ago
Reply to  Alex

100% agreed! Why should the US taxpayers foot Europe’s bill?

julian1
julian1
6 years ago
Reply to  David

how about as it gives them a massive ticket to arms sales…

PKCasimir
PKCasimir
6 years ago
Reply to  julian1

Really? Germany has European fighters, European transports, European tanks, European APCs, European frigates, European destroyers and European kit. And when the head of the German Air Force had the audacity to want to buy F-35s he was sent to his room without dinner after a trip to the woodshed. What arms sales?

Goerge
Goerge
5 years ago
Reply to  Alex

Germany has nothing of there own only being the bank of Europe is what they enjoy. That is the Government not the people.

David
David
6 years ago

This is embarrassing and scandalous – but unfortunately not surprising. Too many decades of relying on Uncle Sam to shoulder the burden of Nato’s Collective defence. Germany is not the only European country that’s guilty. It makes perfect sense why Trump is so fed up paying for Europe and he’s absolutely right! It’s high time the Europeans stepped up to the plate and paid their fair share for their OWN defence!

David Fulop
David Fulop
6 years ago
Reply to  David

Well you can turn that around as well. Too many decades of Uncle Sam not wanting the Germans to possess a formidable military and not being very interested in Europe being able to defend itself.
If the world’s biggest economic block had the means and will to enforce it’s will upon other countries well, there goes American superiority. Not that it matters anymore as China is going to be challenging us both very soon.

David Steeper
6 years ago

Why should the Germans bother ? They and almost every other EU state knows the US, UK and France will do most of the fighting. Why should they bother spending cash on their forces when they can spend it on R n D, infrastructure etc to bury us economically.

julian1
julian1
6 years ago
Reply to  David Steeper

but surely they realise that uk in particular and probably france as well could not deploy armoured division size strength to western europe anymore.

it is a race to the bottom in europe…the germans are disgraceful…hopefully a new government will address that

That's the way it is these day's
That's the way it is these day's
6 years ago

In all fairness Poland is trying to do it’s bit when it comes to NATO. Agree though, too many European
country’s are dragging their feet when it comes to military spending.

dadsarmy
dadsarmy
6 years ago

Disturbing.

Chris
Chris
6 years ago

All this touches on wider political matters so forgive a wider observation: Given we cannot, apparently, separate the EU from its member countries and the UK is leaving then any chance of an EU Army comprised of surplus resources from member nation states is now right out the window. Unless of course Germany knows something we don’t and the ‘nation state’ has already been consigned to history within the EU and its all already earmarked for ‘the EU’? The EU chickens are now coming home to roost and its political wish to create its own military force has led member… Read more »

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
6 years ago
Reply to  Chris

As usual music to my ears, at least.

David Steeper
6 years ago

The EU is like a spoilt brat leaching off others. They won’t defend themselves as long as they know the UK and US will. The solution is obvious but whether we’ll do it is another matter.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
6 years ago
Reply to  David Steeper

The establishment will do everything to dilute, delay or scupper Brexit but we live in hope.

I’d like to see a Anglophile nations alliance myself.

David Fulop
David Fulop
6 years ago

Despite speaking the same language the nations of the UK have more in common with Italians than with Americans or Canadians.

Charles Hutchins
Charles Hutchins
6 years ago

You mean a Anglophile national alliance.consisting of Australia,Canada,New Zealand,UK and the USA?

Chascoyle
Chascoyle
6 years ago

Way to go!

John Clark
John Clark
6 years ago

The Germans have “effectively” disarmed. Their military capability right across the board has degraded to the point that the German state largely operates a paper Army Navy and Airforce. They never deploy in a combat capacity ( except tiny niche rolls) and very much give Putin every reason to think they will do nothing, whatever the provocation. Why the Americans have put up with quite pathetic effort is incredible quite frankly! This is the reason we must never again take part in a solely Western European Defence program, A400, Typhoon etc … We need to pivot towards close industrial collaboration… Read more »

David Fulop
David Fulop
6 years ago
Reply to  John Clark

You clearly understand nothing about Germany.

The Germans were made an example of after WW2. They were made to write it into their constitution that the German Army will never set foot on foreign soil with offensive intent.
They are overcompensating.

John Clark
John Clark
6 years ago

Hi David, I understand freeloading when I see it. WW2 was 70 years ago and that is a terribly convenient excuse…

Overcompensating my arse!

Mr Bell
Mr Bell
6 years ago

David they are freeloading and contributing zero to NATO missions. That is a fact. The German army can only deploy a handful of their frankly rubbish armoured vehicles to a NATO exercise when they were asked and promised a regimental response. France meanwhile is NOT the premiere military force in Europe simply because it is France. Numerically yes they have the edge over the UK but I am not sure if there was a war that France would be prepared to do all that was necessary to win. They are French after all. It is not the equipment I doubt… Read more »

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[…] comes after we reported that The German military is under-equipped to take on its upcoming role as leader of NATO’s […]

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[…] have surfaced that the German Army has been underfunded for so long that its tank force — once a potent […]

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[…] have surfaced that the German Army has been underfunded for so long that its tank force — once a potent […]

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[…] of Germany’s military to feel a palpable sense of concern about the state of European defence. As the UK Defence Journal reported earlier this year, the Bundeswehr doesn’t have enough serviceable tanks to assume leadership of NATO’s Very High […]