German Air Force Chief Of Staff: German Air Force In Dire Straits

A German air force Tornado jet takes off from the German army Bundeswehr airbase in Jagel, northern Germany, December 10, 2015. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

Reuters: German air force in dire straits: chief of staff

BERLIN (Reuters) - NATO member Germany’s air force is in dire straits and funds are urgently needed to modernize its weaponry and systems, the air force chief of staff said on Wednesday.

“The Luftwaffe is at a low point,” Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, who took over as chief of staff of the air force about a month ago, told 200 industry executives, military officers and lawmakers at an event in Berlin on Wednesday evening.

Gerhartz said his assessment followed visits to various air force sites and discussions with troops that revealed serious deficits in the readiness of aircraft and other equipment.

“Aircraft are grounded due to a lack of spare parts, or they aren’t even on site since they’re off for maintenance by the industry,” he said. He said a 400-hour inspection of the Eurofighter combat jets now took a total of 14 months, twice as long as planned, and this was unacceptable.

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Update: Dire Straits: German Air Force 'At a Low Point' – Chief of Staff (Sputnik)

WNU Editor: The German air force is not the only one who has problems .... A German Warship Was Scorched By Its Own Missile (Popular Mechanics).