German ombudsman says state of military equipment 'alarming'

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) – The German parliament military commissioner on Tuesday expressed concern over what she called a dismal state of the country’s military equipment.

Releasing an annual report on the state of the German military in Berlin, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Eva Hoegl described deficiencies and material deficits in the Bundeswehr's operations as "alarming."

“In some cases, the operational readiness of large-scale equipment was just under 50%, she said.

Everyday items of equipment such as protective vests or winter jackets were only sent to the area of ​​operations after the troops had already been deployed there, Hoegl added. "This is totally unacceptable. And that needs to be improved," the Social Democratic politician stressed.

Hoegl made clear that troops are entitled to the best possible and comprehensive equipment as they risk their lives for their country.

She said reports from soldiers made her "very dismayed," and that "no visit to the troops and no conversation goes by without me being told about deficiencies."

In addition to the problem of material resources, staffing is an issue that concerns the troops, the commissioner said.

With 183,695 soldiers, the Bundeswehr is basically sufficiently well positioned, report said. But, it added, the range of tasks and assignments and extraordinary deployments, such as extensive administrative assistance or the evacuation mission in Afghanistan, revealed that the troop's manpower and reserves are limited.

Germany has drastically increased its defense spending in reaction to Russia’s war on Ukraine, saying more than 2% of the country's GDP would now be devoted to the military.

Last month, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a "special fund" of 100 billion euros for the German military. "We will use the funds for necessary investments and armament projects. We will from now on - year after year - invest more than 2% of the gross domestic product in our defense," Scholz said.

“We will have to invest significantly more in the security of our country. To protect our freedom and our democracy in this way. This is a great national effort," he added.