Pistorius disappointed NATO: Leopard tanks are stuck in the maintenance loop

The Bundeswehr should be able to provide 30 tanks to the NATO intervention force VJTF in a short time.

But that could be difficult for Pistorius.

Berlin – It is regarded as the spearhead of NATO: the VJTF Rapid Reaction Force (Very High Readiness Joint Task Force).

The Bundeswehr should supply the elite unit with tanks.

But the Bundeswehr is currently unable to fulfill its commitments to the military alliance: instead of 30, only 17 Leopard 2 tanks are operational.

This is reported by the magazine "ZDF frontal".

For the new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), these difficulties are now at the wrong time.

Leopard-2 wanted: Pistorius cannot provide NATO with enough tanks for a NATO intervention force

In its report, ZDF refers to an availability forecast.

It dates from February and is considered classified information.

"30 of its 44 Leopard 2 tanks must be kept ready by the 393rd tank battalion at all times for emergencies - that's what NATO has promised," the paper says.

But only 17 are ready - the gaps in Battalion 393 should therefore now be closed "underhand".

Another association in Bavaria is supposed to hand over the tanks – makeshift.

According to observers, however, this is not a reliable solution.

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Boris Pistorius (centre) on a Bundeswehr tank in Pabdrade in Lithuania

© Tobias Schwarz/AFP

According to the "classified information", the reason for the failures is that the maintenance of the tanks in a manufacturing plant in Thuringia is said to have been delayed.

19 of the 30 battle tanks alone are said to have been there in February.

The Bundeswehr assumes that the vehicles will have to stand there for about half a year - which is far longer than the specified guideline time.

But neither the Bundeswehr nor the Leopard 2 manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) wanted to comment on the ZDF request about the operational readiness of the Leopard 2 A7V models in the VJTF.

Pistorius in Lithuania: Minister fends off requests for a combat brigade – also with a view to tank problems?

For Pistorius, this is still unpleasant news.

On Tuesday (March 7), the SPD politician continued a multi-day visit to Lithuania.

About 1,450 soldiers from Germany are currently stationed there.

At the Pabrade military training area, he observed the “Griffin Lightning” exercise, in which around 600 soldiers from the Bundeswehr practiced defending the Eastern European country against a potential aggressor together with Lithuanian soldiers.

During his visit, Pistorius assured Lithuania of his support.

Germany stands "without ifs and buts" for the military protection of NATO partners in the Baltic States, said the German Defense Minister and added: "Until 1990, the Federal Republic of Germany was the eastern flank.

Our security was guaranteed by NATO and its allies.” And today “Poland, the Baltic States and other countries are the eastern flank”.

Problems with Leopard-2 overshadow Pistorius' visit to Lithuania

But in this context, too, the Bundeswehr obviously has to disappoint its allies.

Because while Lithuania is pushing for the permanent stationing of a NATO combat brigade because of the Russia-Ukraine war, Pistorius also had to be cautious on this point. 

NATO enlargement: The growing defense alliance

NATO enlargement: The growing defense alliance

“The idea is that individual units, possibly even the entire brigade, are repeatedly transferred to Lithuania to practice here.

That's the plan," said Pistorius, indirectly rejecting the Lithuanian request.

The Panzergrenadierbrigade 41 had proven "that they have what it takes, that it works".

He said the brigade covered 1,200 kilometers from Germany "in record time," with just one vehicle breakdown.

Pistorius: "And then I was told that the vehicle was older than the commander of the troops.

That can happen then.” It was a truck.

List of rubrics: © Tobias Schwarz/AFP