Equipment of the German Armed Forces
Lambrecht: The management of shortages is over
03/19/2022, 09:47 am
The Bundeswehr’s equipment shortages have been known for years. After the announcement that 100 billion euros would be spent on the army, Defense Minister Lambrecht promised rapid improvements. It is a matter of weeks before the troops receive protective vests and night vision devices.
Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has announced rapid improvements in the equipment of the Bundeswehr. “It’s only a matter of weeks before the first improvements arrive in the troops,” said the SPD politician to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.
The aim is to act quickly: “We don’t wait until everything has been planned down to the last detail. There will be an immediate program for everything that the soldiers receive directly: protective vests, night vision devices, modern radios. “
As a consequence of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the federal government wants to make 100 billion euros available for the Bundeswehr via a special fund. The money is intended to finance significant equipment projects to ensure that the Bundeswehr is fully operational. An amendment to the Basic Law is planned for this, for which the traffic light coalition in the Bundestag needs a two-thirds majority and thus votes from the opposition. The Union criticizes the current version of the traffic light plans for the special fund.
In view of the complaints about equipment shortages and breakdowns in the Bundeswehr, which have been known for years, Lambrecht promised: “The management of shortages is over. We are serious about optimal equipment for the Bundeswehr.”
Lambrecht had previously stated that further Bundeswehr arms deliveries to Ukraine would hardly be possible. “The possibilities of the Bundeswehr are exhausted,” Lambrecht told Deutschlandfunk. “We’re exploring what other options there are.” Accordingly, talks are now underway in the federal government about the purchase of weapons for Ukraine.