Timetable for complete repair of German Army released

A parliamentary report has found that the German Armed Forces remain underequipped, underfunded and too slow in dealing with problems. The report was produced by Eva Hogl, the German parliament's commissioner for the Bundeswehr, who submitted it to the legislature's President Barbel Bas on Tuesday. Hogl warned that the German military "lacks everything" from helmets and vests to modern digital radios, and is burdened by red tape when replenishing stockpiles. The Defense Ministry also has trouble finding recruits to fill vacancies, and Berlin wants to have 203,000 troops by 2031, but currently has a strength of 183,000 and numbers dropped last year. The Bundeswehr is challenged by competition from the private sector for a limited workforce, and potential recruits are discouraged by the realities of military service. Hogl welcomed the decision by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to create a special €100 billion ($107 billion) fund to refurbish the military, but estimated that a sum three times larger would be required to make it fully operational.