There are only a few days left until the Bundeswehr takes over the leadership of the NATO Rapid Deployment Force. But before that happens, the Bundestag Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces is alarmed: the troops' material situation is worse than it was before the Russian attack on Ukraine.
A few days before taking over the leadership of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force, the Defense Commissioner of the German Bundestag, Eva Högl, confirmed that the Bundeswehr had significant equipment shortages. For full operational readiness, there is a lack of "personal equipment such as helmets, backpacks, protective vests and small and large equipment - from radios, ammunition to tanks," said the SPD politician of the "Rheinische Post" and the Bonn "General-anzeiger".
"The Bundeswehr has too little of almost everything." Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany has recognized the need to "equip our soldiers better and improve their framework conditions in order to restore full operational readiness," said Högl, referring to the 100 billion euro special fund for modernizing the Bundeswehr.
"However, we now have a worse material position than before February 24 because a lot has been given away in support of Ukraine but nothing has been replaced yet." The problems with the "Puma" infantry fighting vehicle also showed how fragile the situation with large equipment was. On January 1, 2023, the Bundeswehr will assume leadership of the spearhead of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force.
