CDU politician Roderich Kiesewetter complains to Merkur.de that the traffic light government has not ordered any new Leopard 2s for the German armed forces.
He demands action.
Munich – What about the tank fleet of the German Bundeswehr?
Bad, according to a report by ZDF in mid-February.
According to this, only 90 of 290 Leopard 2 main battle tanks were operational at that time.
Leopard 2 of the Bundeswehr: Traffic light federal government has apparently not ordered any new copies
18 of the combat-ready specimens are currently going to support the Ukrainian armed forces.
Eight other tanks are said to be on NATO's eastern flank in Lithuania.
Given a simple calculation for a national defense of Germany, there were still 64 "Leos" - nationwide.
So isn't there a need to order new Leopard 2 main battle tanks from the German defense industry?
The "Leos" are assembled by the company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann in Munich.
But: As the CDU defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter explained when asked by
Merkur.de
, the German Bundestag has no information that the traffic light federal government made up of SPD, Greens and FDP has even ordered a single modern "Leo".
And not since Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) proclaimed the so-called “turning point” in March 2022.
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"I am not aware of any such orders, in fact only 600 million euros, i.e. less than one percent of the special fund, were actually planned," explained Kiesewetter: "There is simply a lack of orders and financing commitments for the defense industry.
If no Leopard 2s are ordered, then none will be produced either.” Scholz announced the “Bundeswehr special fund” of over 100 billion euros at the same time as the concrete implementation of the “turning point”.
Kiesewetter was a professional soldier between 1982 and 2009, most recently with the rank of colonel, before he was first elected to the 17th German Bundestag as a representative for the constituency of Aalen-Heidenheim in Baden-Württemberg.
From 2011 to 2016, the 59-year-old was also President of the Association of Reservists in the German Armed Forces - and was always close to the troops.
Leopard 2 of the Bundeswehr: CDU politician Kiesewetter sharply criticizes the traffic light federal government
Compared to
Merkur.de,
the Swabian, who was deployed abroad with the Bundeswehr in the Balkans and Afghanistan, criticized an alleged earlier "planning ban by the Chancellery for the preparation of battle tanks for Ukraine from industrial stocks".
"As a result, Bundeswehr stocks had to be used when the Chancellery was forced by international pressure to commit to battle tanks," says the opposition politician, referring to the initial hesitation of the "traffic light" on this issue.
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Defense politician of the CDU: Roderich Kiesewetter.
© IMAGO/Bernd Elmenthaler
There is simply a lack of orders and financing commitments for the armaments industry.
If no Leopard 2s are ordered, then none will be produced.
CDU defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter to Merkur.de
In his opinion, “it probably came as a surprise to the Chancellery itself.
The recourse would not have been necessary if the planning and preparation of the industrial inventory had started in April,” said Kiesewetter, looking back on the year 2022.
Bundeswehr special assets: Were 13 billion lost due to inflation and hesitation in the “traffic light”?
Kiesewetter also criticized that the loss in the "Bundeswehr Special Fund" due to neglected orders and simultaneously rising inflation was already around 13 billion euros, according to his estimates.
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In the summer of 2022, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg asked the NATO countries and their armaments industries to boost and accelerate the production of ammunition and equipment.
"Only the USA followed the request, in Germany the industry is still waiting for orders," explained Kiesewetter.
He is now calling for "measures to speed up procurement".
Weapons deliveries to Ukraine: The German Bundeswehr probably needs a lot of replacements
For example, when Bundeswehr material is handed over to Ukraine, the Bundeswehr can be ordered to procure new equipment immediately, "without going through the usual route of 25 million euros in proposals and individual decisions, but only with an obligation to inform Parliament". he an example.
The "Leopard 2": Hundreds of companies supply components - assembly takes place in Munich
Who makes the battle tank? According to ZDF's "live today", hundreds of companies are supplying components. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann from Munich-Allach produces the tub and is responsible for assembly. MWK-Defence from Saxony is supplying the armored tracks for precisely that assembly, the gearbox comes from the Augsburg Renk Group, and the Rolls Royce subsidiary MTU from Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance produces the diesel engine. The armored steel is provided by the Swedish company SSAB. The smoothbore weapon comes from the German armaments group Rheinmetall from Düsseldorf.
An important step is also increasing the number of cycles in the industry.
For example, the shift system at the producers could be expanded and a hiring offensive started through planning security, suggested the CDU politician: “But you have to want all that politically.
And unfortunately I didn't see that from the Chancellery or the Federal Ministry of Defense last year."
Leopard 2 of the Bundeswehr: CDU man Kiesewetter calls for a minimum inventory of 290 main battle tanks
How many operational Leopard 2 main battle tanks does the Bundeswehr actually need?
The off-duty soldier answers this question: “The absolute minimum would be if the 290 Leopard 2 tanks that we have that were mentioned in the media were all operational.
Due to our commitments to NATO, however, the need is likely to be significantly higher."
(pm)
