Lots of construction sites: what needs to be done in the Bundeswehr

Status: 01/17/2023 10:35 a.m

A lot of problems await the new secretary of defense. Training time is unlikely to be granted to him. Much is pressing, for example the tank problem. What to do – an overview.

Christine Lambrecht failed to become Minister of Defense, she is not the first. The post is probably one of the most difficult in the cabinet. Since the Russian war in Ukraine, the challenges have grown even more. Deficits in the Bundeswehr came relentlessly to light. “We need airplanes that fly, ships that set sail and soldiers that are optimally equipped for their missions,” said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz in his speech on February 27, 2022 in the Bundestag. The reality in the Bundeswehr often looks different. What to do now for the new Secretary of Defense – an overview.

Difficult return to national and alliance defense

With the end of the Cold War, national and alliance defense has been pushed into the background since the 1990s. With Germany practically surrounded by friends, the Bundeswehr increasingly focused on foreign operations, such as in Afghanistan, as its core mission. For this, the troops needed mobile units and not hundreds of battle tanks or artillery pieces to defend Germany’s territory. At the latest when Russia invaded Ukraine, it became clear that this was a misjudgment. Now the federal government is making a difficult about-face.

Massive equipment shortages

With the end of the threat from the Soviet Union, radical savings were also made in the Bundeswehr. Today the troops lack material and weapon systems in practically all areas. Chancellor Scholz (SPD) therefore announced a special fund of 100 billion euros after the start of the Russian war of aggression in February 2022. However, it took until December before the first armament projects were launched, including the purchase of F-35 fighter jets from the USA.

lack of ammunition

The availability of ammunition also shows how dramatic the situation in the Bundeswehr is. According to reports of internal assessments, the troops could only hold out for a few days in an emergency – after that they would have nothing more to shoot. NATO’s requirements stipulate that its member states must stock ammunition for 30 days by 2031. According to the Defense Ministry, at least 20 billion euros would be required for the Bundeswehr. For the current year, only 1.1 billion euros have been earmarked so far.

NATO’s two percent target

After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Scholz assured that Germany would achieve the NATO defense spending target agreed in 2014 “from now on – year after year”. But Germany will probably not achieve the two percent of gross domestic product this year either. According to a study by the German Economic Institute (IW), this will probably not be the case until 2024 and 2025, because then expenditure from the special fund will have an impact and the actual defense budget will even decrease slightly this year.

And NATO is already discussing even higher defense spending. According to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, some of the Allies want to significantly tighten the current two percent target. Accordingly, the current target value of two percent should become a minimum value.

Clumsy leadership structures

The Bundeswehr is considered clumsy and poorly organized in its decision-making and management structures. Under Lambrecht, a territorial command in Berlin that had been planned for some time began work. It is intended to bundle domestic tasks that were previously spread across several areas and thus enable faster decisions in crisis situations. The procurement system of the Bundeswehr is also in urgent need of reform. The Federal Office for Defense Technology in Koblenz is responsible for acquisitions – it is considered overly bureaucratic and understaffed.

Deficits in digitization

Parts of the Bundeswehr have not yet arrived in the digital age. The Bundeswehr set up a cyber command as an independent military organization back in 2017. But when it comes to networking weapon systems or using artificial intelligence, there is a lot of catching up to do. And even digital – and thus tap-proof – radios are often still missing in the troops.

Arms deliveries to Ukraine

Lambrecht supported Scholz’s cautious line on arms deliveries to Ukraine without any ifs or buts. In the end, Germany also supplied heavy weapons such as anti-aircraft tanks and howitzers, but often only after massive pressure from Germany and abroad. Only recently, after a month-long stalemate, did the federal government decide to make “Marder” armored personnel carriers available to the Ukraine. Now the supply debate revolves around battle tanks of the “Leopard” type and, in view of the costly war of attrition in Ukraine, is unlikely to end after that.

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