Union complains: Traffic light weakens Bundeswehr

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius promises in April to make the Bundeswehr combat-ready as soon as possible. The Union has already failed in this plan. After a session of the Defence Committee, Union fraction vice-chairman Johann Wadephul expressed concern about two points.

The Union sharply criticized the state of the Bundeswehr. In the third year of the military transition period, the troop still lacks weapons and ammunition. In addition, fewer soldiers are serving than before. "The traffic light coalition is handing over the Bundeswehr in a worse condition than it took over", said Union fraction vice-chairman Johann Wadephul. This applies to both the material and the personnel equipment, "in other words, the readiness for deployment". "The old slogan 'conditionally defensive' is gaining new relevance", warned the foreign and defence policy politician.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in February 2022, after the beginning of the Russian aggression war against Ukraine, a change in security policy and set up a 100-billion-euro special fund for the Bundeswehr. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius later spoke of making the armed forces as combat-ready as possible. It is a target conflict that is difficult to resolve that military equipment from the limited stocks of the Bundeswehr is being given to Ukraine.

Not everything is the government's fault, Wadephul noted. "I am not criticizing any individual budgets. That has of course contributed to a worse equipment situation. However, one must also say that, in terms of material equipment as well as personnel equipment, there is a clear lack of effective and far-reaching measures that would have led to improvement."

Concrete Bundeswehr status is confidential

According to information from the German Press Agency, the German government recently informed the Defence Committee of the Bundestag about the material readiness with details and caused concern. Due to the fundamentally changed threat situation, these data - unlike in previous years - are no longer publicly accessible. The exact details are only accessible to a restricted circle and are in the Secret Service of the Bundestag.

Some notes are, however, known: So, the Luftwaffe has given three of twelve Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, and more are being modernized by the manufacturers. The inventory is now so low that new training can still be done. The Leopard-2 tank battalion 203 from north rhine-westphalia Augustdorf has given all its Leopard-2 combat tanks to Ukraine. The artillery school in rhineland-palatinate Idar-Oberstein - according to the Bundeswehr "central training institution for indirect fire" - should have seven Panzerhaubitzen. In the latest statement, the military admitted that it only had three left, of which only one functioned.

One of the biggest concerns remains the ammunition stockpile, which includes highly modern guided missiles and for which there are quantity requirements from NATO. "According to what one hears and reads, Germany is not meeting the minimum requirements in the area of ammunition. We must always keep in mind that ammunition is used for training and it also exceeds its shelf life. Procurement is a burden. We are really running the risk of becoming a problem within NATO ourselves," warned Wadephul.

He specifically pointed to the main problem areas in the German ground forces, which have been "completely neglected." "The Ukraine conflict shows that we must above all prepare for a ground-bound confrontation. In my opinion, too little is being invested in that area," he said.

"I know a commander who tells me: I still have 100 percent of the personnel, but I have only 20 percent of the material equipment. And that's why there's deep frustration in large parts of the active troops. People who are good and very good don't hang around, they don't reapply for a career soldier, and they withdraw their application," Wadephul continued. The Bundeswehr shrank to 181,500 soldiers last year - despite a personnel offensive. Wadephul indicated that this trend is continuing this year.

Bundeswehr "effectively defenseless" against drones

However, it's not just about capabilities. "We've known since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that drones on the battlefield are a whole new threat that the Bundeswehr is effectively defenseless against," said Wadephul. The fact that there is now a so-called "Drones" task force is "almost a caricature." Germany must acquire drones more effectively, but also acquire the ability to counter them. "The sky over the Ukrainian battlefield is black with small, mini, and large drones. And the Bundeswehr sees nothing of it. Anyone who talks about military readiness must also give adequate answers in all dimensions," he added.

Despite the problems, there is still "not even a reform in the procurement area." New structures are needed for the tasks of the procurement office (BAAINBw). "The keyword for that is a procurement agency. In particular, the SPD clings to a publicly-owned structure, but that's no longer future-proof," explained Wadephul. "This huge overloaded procurement authority cannot structurally afford to procure quickly and effectively."

Defense budget for 2025 still open

And despite numerous deficiencies, Wadephul sees no concrete plans to significantly increase the defense budget. Pistorius had already demanded ten billion euros more for this year, but did not receive it - despite higher personnel costs. "We have a factual zero line, which, considering inflation, is a minus line," summarized the Union politician. Munitions procurement must take place over several years and be reflected in the regular budget.

I would advise against relying on the principle of hope, he cautioned. Russia is militarily preparing for more and regenerating capabilities and capacities. "And if Russia is preparing for more, we should also prepare for more," this also applies if there are weapons truce negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. "We have learned this: We no longer have security with, but only against Russia in Europe," according to Wadephul.

The CDU, being critical of the budget policy towards the Bundeswehr, suggests that effective and far-reaching measures should have been implemented to improve the equipment situation, both in terms of material and personnel, as stated by Union fraction vice-chairman Johann Wadephul.
In the context of NATO's requirements, Union fraction vice-chairman Johann Wadephul expressed concern about Germany not meeting the minimum requirements in the area of ammunition, which is a crucial component of the Bundeswehr's combat readiness.
As part of the budget policy discussions, Wadephul highlighted the need for a procurement agency to streamline and accelerate the procurement process in the Ministry of Defense, aiming to make the German Armed Forces more efficient and combat-ready.