MOSCOW, March 7 Germany lacks combat-ready tanks for the NATO rapid reaction force, ZDF TV channel reported with reference to the closed report of the Bundeswehr.
“The Bundeswehr can hardly fulfill its obligations to NATO regarding the international high-readiness task force “Spearhead. Internal documents of the Bundeswehr testify to tangible problems with the combat readiness of the tank forces of the High Readiness Group,» the publication says.
According to the channel, the 393rd Panzer Battalion of Thuringia is required to keep 30 out of 44 tanks on alert in case of an emergency. According to the report of the 37th motorized infantry brigade, there were twenty combat-ready combat vehicles in February, and according to the forecast of the readiness factor in July there will be only fourteen. The lack of tanks will be temporarily filled by another battalion.
«Nothing has been officially disclosed about problems with tanks in Thuringia. The tanks of the 104th battalion are hardly ready for a role in NATO's Spearhead,» ZDF reports.
According to the authors of the publication, if it were not for bureaucratic tricks, there would be even fewer combat vehicles in the battalion.
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"The prescribed period of maintenance of battle tanks"Spearhead" was hastily extended from 12 to 24 months. Otherwise, eleven more Leopard 2 units would «suddenly» classified as inoperable,» — indicated in the material.
The Bundeswehr did not comment on the situation with the combat readiness of tanks, noting that it would continue to fulfill its obligations to NATO.
In early March, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius admitted that the Bundeswehr was not capable of to protect the country in case of martial law due to the weak material base and lack of personnel. According to him, Germany needs to invest more in the modernization of the army.
The newspaper Die Welt reported that the shortage of tanks for NATO arose in the 9th Tank Brigade in Münster — it had only nine combat-ready Leopard 2 tanks out of the required 44 tanks and three vehicles infantry Marder from 14. The reason for this is the lack of spare parts and high maintenance costs. In addition, the Bundeswehr will lack night vision devices, grenade launchers, auxiliary vehicles, winter uniforms and body armor.