German Military Called 'Overstretched, Underfunded'

[GhostZ06]

BERLIN — Germany's military is overstretched and underfunded as its troops are engaged in anti-jihadist missions from Syria and Afghanistan to Mali while also aiding refugees at home, the defense commissioner said Tuesday, according to Agence France-Presse.

Plagued by a series of defense equipment failures, the military is "at a crossroads" and has reached "the limit of its capacity for interventions," said Hans-Peter Bartels.

Founded in 1955, the Bundeswehr had a peak force of 600,000 at the end of the Cold War when West Germany conscripted young men, and has since shrunk to a 177,000-strong volunteer force.

"The force is tired. Too much is lacking," said Bartels, a center-left Social Democrat lawmaker, demanding a significant budget increase in his annual report.

Systemic budget shortages now endanger training, military exercises and missions, while many barracks are crumbling, said Bartels, known in Berlin as "the soldiers' attorney."

Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has pledged a greater role for Germany in international crisis fighting, marking a shift for post-World War II Germany which has long been reluctant to send troops abroad for combat missions.

According to press reports on Tuesday, relying on government sources, the German MoD is preparing a steep increase in investment in weapons and material over the coming years. The plan is to spend bln €130 billion (US $140.6 billion) until 2030 on equipment and research and development.

While the MoD did not comment, Tobias Linder, MP for the Green Party in the Bundestag and member of the budget committee, said this means an extra €50 in that period and the cancellation of caps for main weapon systems that were introduced by von der Leyen`s predecessor.

The engagements come as the German Army has been plagued by a series of equipment failures.

It is phasing out the G36 assault rifle after reports it has failed to shoot straight at high temperatures. Its Tornado surveillance aircraft cannot fly night missions because of a glare problem involving cockpit displays and pilots' goggles

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http://www.defensenews.com/story/de...ry-called-overstretched-underfunded/79363208/


lol ouch..

 

[RIPWarrior]

Any money spent on the military should go to the male immigrants in my opinion.

 

[JDragon]

This is hardly surprising. The end of conscription is something I welcomed, but it was introduced mainly for downsizing and cost-cutting reasons. There was no real strategy behind.

 

[GhostZ06]

This is hardly surprising. The end of conscription is something I welcomed, but it was introduced mainly for downsizing and cost-cutting reasons. There was no real strategy behind.

Well dont you have contract soldiers now?

 

[JDragon]

Well dont you have contract soldiers now?

Sure, we do. But see, the transition to a volunteer army did not result in less tasks, nor were there sufficient recruitment incentives.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

Putin looms.

 

[SMEAC]

Need to go back to Hugo Boss uniforms and the fashionistas will be packing the recruiting office.

 

[Bacco]

They're not overstretched or underfunded, they're straight in the wrong place

Germans don't need them in whatever Camelstan country, germans right now need them in Germany

 

[Titus002]

The defense ministers of Europe.




From left. Albania,Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Italy

The Czar and his defense minister checking out the defense ministers of Europe.

From left. Sweden, Norway, Russia, Netherlands, Germany

 

[Stoic1]

^
Aahahhahhaaaa oh shit. That says everything.

 

[Oedad]

Germany's minister of defense

"A physician by profession, she previously also served as the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs from 2009 to 2013 and as the Minister of Senior Citizens, Women and Youth from 2005 to 2009."

Wow...

 

[GhostZ06]

The defense ministers of Europe.

please tell me your joking...

 

[KOQ24]

The Bundeswehr has become a laughing stock.
Our DM has priorities though,like implementing the (EU required) 12 hr Rest Period for Soldiers between duty.



If Murica wasnt there ,id fear Poland would invade and destroy us nowadays.

 

[GhostZ06]

The Bundeswehr has become a laughing stock.
Our DM has priorities though,like implementing the (EU required) 12 hr Rest Period for Soldiers between duty.



If Murica wasnt there ,id fear Poland would invade and destroy us nowadays.

they have more tank brigades then Germany...lmao

And they are also upgrading each and every single one of them to current standards. And they bought them all from germany.

 

[GhostZ06]

Germany's minister of defense

"A physician by profession, she previously also served as the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs from 2009 to 2013 and as the Minister of Senior Citizens, Women and Youth from 2005 to 2009."

Wow...

has Germany ever thought of using someone who served in the military? i mean Germans and Germany military engineering is some of the best in the world. Now its pretty much a joke..

 

[GhostZ06]

end of the cold war they were at 600,000 now down to 170k? seeing how they are the leaders of the eu i'd think 350k or maybe 250k would be logical.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

"Fuhrer, our military is overstretched and underfunded."

"Ja, ja, ve vil just increase ze spendink and scale back from abroad."

"...mein Fuhrer, our Defense Minister is...what I mean to say is, she is..."

"...a woman, mein Fuhrer."

"She used to be Minister of Labour and Social Affairs from 2009 to 2013 and as the Minister of Senior Citizens, Women and Youth."

The Czar and his defense minister checking out the defense ministers of Europe.

 

[WrestlinganJudo]

I don't fully believe but I half believe it. The USA should have pulled out of Europe a very long time ago. I just don't know if another war would have broken out if that had happened.

 

[carlos cadona]

So they are facing some issues and are working to rectify said issues, at least that's what I'm getting out of the OP.

 

[Halge]

please tell me your joking...

National defense has not exactly been a prioritized matter in most (west) European countries since 1991.