German Army Has Only Enough Ammunition To Last 2 Days Of War

Republic War: German Army Facing Severe Arms Shortage, Has Ammo Only To Last 2 Days Of War, Says Top MP 

 “With sick, parental, and education leaves, many units reach the staffing level of only 60% of what they have on paper," German MP  stressed. 

 German armed forces are currently facing severe shortages of ammunition, the Bundestag’s commissioner for the armed forces, Eva Hoegl, revealed on Sunday. The German Army lacks certain basic personal equipment to fight a war, she shockingly noted during an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “Without munitions, it’s all nothing,” Hoegl said. Furthermore, she called on the German administration to focus on replenishing the arms depots, particularly during the heightened security risks across the European region from the ongoing Russian offensive in Ukraine.   

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Update: German army has €20 billion ammo shortfall – top MP (RT)  

WNU Editor: Germany has the wealth and industrial base to quickly build-up its military. And while they are spending some money now (link here), there is a lack of political will, and I also suspect most Germans feel uncomfortable to see Germany re-arming. 

But two days of ammunition?!?!?!? That is crazy.

Germany Disbands Its Elite Army Unit Over Far-Right Extremism

DW: Germany to overhaul elite army force tied to right-wing extremism

Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer will disband part of the KSK special forces, a unit linked to far-right extremism. The German military has been grappling with a rise in far-right links among soldiers.

German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer plans on restructuring the country's Bundeswehr's Special Forces Command (KSK) in the wake of numerous allegations of far-right extremism among its ranks, German media reported on Tuesday.

According to newspaper Die Welt, Kramp-Karrenbauer will announce structural reforms of the KSK unit, which will include the dissolution of one of its four combat companies.

Some 70 soldiers would be affected by the changes, Die Welt reported.

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More News On Germany Disbanding Its Elite Army Unit Over Far-Right Extremism

Germany's elite KSK commando unit is 'partially dissolved' due to far-right extremism among its ranks -- Daily Mail
Germany disbands elite army unit over extremism concerns -- AP
German Special Forces unit to be dissolved, source says, after reported far-right links -- CNN
Germany disbands elite special forces unit over right-wing extremist concerns -- FOX News
Germany to disband special forces unit over ‘toxic’ far-right members -- The National
German military to dissolve top Special Operations unit -- SOFREP

Germany's New Assault Rifles Have Failed In Testing

DW: Germany's new assault rifles fail Bundeswehr tests

Gun manufacturers have fallen short in their efforts to replace the controversial G36 model. Defense Minister Ursula von Der Leyen's plan to phase in a new weapon has been delayed by eight months.

The German army's efforts to acquire a new standard automatic weapon for its troops have been delayed as gun manufacturers failed to provide suitable bids, newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag reported on Saturday.

The information came from a confidential report by the German Defense Ministry's procurement office (BAAINBw), made available to Die Welt.

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WNU Editor: I know German standards are very high. But this is a blow to Germany's reputation when it comes to development, engineering, and manufacturing new military weapons.

The German Defense Minister Already Has Plans On How To Spend The EU's New Defense Fund

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen (L) speaks with German soldiers after a NATO Response Force (NRF) exercise in Zagan, southwest Poland on June 18, 2015. Photo by AFP

Spigel Online: German defense minister eyes EU fund to boost military

The EU's new defense fund could be used for drone development, better aircraft and officer training, Germany's defense minister has said. Ursula von der Leyen said Germany and France were already identifying projects.

Von der Leyen told Germany's Funke newspaper concern that "we Europeans must get a firmer grip on our own security" in the wake of Britain's "Brexit" referendum and the US election of President Donald Trump.

Her remarks to the Ruhr District multimedia outlet based in Essen coincided with a public "open barrack" day at 16 Bundeswehr facilities as Germany's armed forces seek to recover from several scandals.

Visiting the Bundeswehr's large tank training center near Detmold - the Rommel Barracks named after the late Hitler-era Africa corps general - von der Leyen said German soldiers needed more "sustained" funding and more public support.

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WNU Editor: Before they plan on building an EU defense force, the Germans should first fix up their own military .... Germany's Merkel seeks to ease tensions with military (AP). And as for where to spend the money .... the other members of the EU may have a different point of view.

Shocking Details Emerge On The Treatment And Abuse Of Female German Soldiers At Elite Military Base

© AFP 2016/ THOMAS FREY / DPA

DW: Female Bundeswehr soldiers abused and forced to pole-dance

A new report details the humiliation and harrassment at a southern German army base. New recruits had to strip down and go through cruel hazing rituals. Germany's defense minister has condemned the actions as repulsive.

The Staufer barracks in Pfullendorf, a small town in southern Germany, are a special operations training center for the Bundeswehr, Germany's army. But the gruesome events that have taken place there have absolutely nothing to do with regular soldier training.

A new report by the German defense ministry recounts the humiliating steps a female trainee had to go through as part of a sadistic "entrance exam." Nicole E. said she was forced by her superiors to pole-dance in the common room of the barracks. In addition to the pole, the likes of which are usually a staple in strip clubs and not Bundeswehr training centers, the lounge also had a bar stocked with hard liquor.

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More News On Details Emerging On The Treatment And Abuse Of Female German Soldiers At An Elite Military Base

Rape In The Military: German Soldiers Stripped, Sodomised While Being Filmed -- IBTimes
‘Forced to strip & pole dance’: New details emerge of sadistic abuses at elite German military base -- RT
'Sexual Abuse and Sadism Common Practice' at German Army Training Center -- Sputnik

Germany's Army Used Broomsticks Instead Of Machine Guns In Latest War Games Exercises

German Bundeswehr army soldiers with Echo company, 401 mechanised infantry battalion of the ISAF Quick Reaction Force (QRF) take aim with their weapons during a patrol on the outskirts of Mazar-e-Sharif, north of Kabul, in this file picture taken December 10, 2009. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/Files

Washington Post: Germany’s army is so under-equipped that it used broomsticks instead of machine guns

The German army has faced a shortage of equipment for years, but the situation has recently become so precarious that some soldiers took matters into their own hands.

On Tuesday, German broadcaster ARD revealed that German soldiers tried to hide the lack of arms by replacing heavy machine guns with broomsticks during a NATO exercise last year. After painting the wooden sticks black, the German soldiers swiftly attached them to the top of armored vehicles, according to a confidential army report which was leaked to ARD.

Update #1: German army used broomsticks instead of guns during training -- The Telegraph
Update #2: German army paints broomsticks black to resemble machine guns in Nato exercises -- The Independent

WNU Editor: The explanation from the German defense ministry is (I guess) very German .... real weapons were not needed for war games in Norway.

The Decline Of The German Army

German Army Falls Below European Standards -- Deutsche Welle

The German military is more expensive and less efficient than its major NATO allies such as the United Kingdom and France, says the European Defense Agency.

The German armed forces are less efficient and not as deployment ready compared to other European militaries, according to the European Defense Agency (EDA) and a report by the economics magazine Wirtschaftswoche.

Germany is currently capable of sending 7,000 soldiers abroad at one time. In contrast, the United Kingdom can deploy 22,000 troops simultaneously while France can contribute 30,000 soldiers to international military actions.

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My Comment: In the past I have been critical of the British, French, Canadians .... other NATO allies, Japan, etc. on their commitment to their military and national defense. I have left out the Germans in this mix for the past year .... but after reading this report, it is clear that this omission has been a mistake.

For a heads up on how quick this decline has been, check out this post from last year.

German Soldiers Deemed 'Too Fat To Fight'

A German armoured vehicle guards an airstrip in Northern Afghanistan
(Photo from Military Photos)

From Times Online:

First they were accused of not wanting to fight. Then they were blamed for failing in their main mission to train the Afghan police.

Now Germany’s battered military reputation has received a further humiliating blow. According to official reports the 3,500 troops in northern Afghanistan drink too much and are too fat to fight.

A German parliamentary report has revealed that in 2007 German forces in Afghanistan consumed about 1.7 million pints of beer and 90,000 bottles of wine. During the first six months of this year 896,000 pints of beer were shipped to German forces in Afghanistan. British and US bases in the country enforce a strict ban on alcohol.

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My Comment: The Brits, Aussies, Canadians, and Americans must be green with envy ..... especially the beer part.