BERLIN (AP) — A German defense ministry spokesman says his country’s military is unable to meet its medium-term readiness target should NATO call on members to mobilize against an attack.
The revelation follows days of embarrassing reports about equipment failures that included German army instructors stranded in Bulgaria en route to Iraq when their plane broke down, and delays in sending weapons to arm Kurdish fighters because of another transport problem.
In the latest incident, the military said one of two aging C-160 aircraft flying German aid to Ebola-affected West Africa has also been grounded on the island of Gran Canaria since the weekend, awaiting repairs.
Asked about a Der Spiegel report that Germany currently wouldn’t be able to offer the appropriate number of military aircraft within 180 days of an attack on the NATO alliance, Defense Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff confirmed that was the case.
But, he said, Germany’s short-term readiness isn’t an issue.
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APPHOTO LGL104: FILE – in this Sept. 1, 2014 file photo German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen attends the debate about planned weapon aid for Kurdish Peshmerga forces at the parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany. Germany is unable to meet its medium-term readiness target should NATO call on its members to mobilize against an attack, officials said Monday, Sept. 29, 2014. The equipment trouble has prompted widespread criticism in German media of Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and senior ministry staff. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File) (1 Sep 2014)
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