BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s defense minister says she is preparing for a “long, hard task” of reforming the country’s military procurement process after a report found that billions of euros (dollars) have been wasted in recent years.
More than 1,000 pages long, the report by external auditors details mistakes within the defense ministry and among private companies contracted to provide military gear, and problems caused by political lobbying.
Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who has faced criticism recently over a series of military equipment failures, said Monday the report “may be painful, but it’s right and it gives us valuable indications about where we need to make changes.”
Among other things she plans to hire more lawyers to ensure the government isn’t signing bad deals with the defense industry.
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