In Germany, there were problems with tanks for the forces of the highest level of combat readiness of NATO

The Bundeswehr is unable to fulfill its obligations to the NATO ultra-high readiness tactical forces (VJTF), or fulfills them with significant distortions.

About this, as he writesEuropean truth“, informs Spiegel.

The Bundeswehr has been preparing for this year’s VJTF for several years now. However, due to new problems with the Leopard 2 tanks, the troops have to reassemble weapons systems throughout the country.

For Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who has repeatedly stressed since taking office that Berlin is a reliable partner within the alliance, this news came at a very bad time.

As it turns out, Tank Battalion 393, which currently provides part of the German force for the NATO VJTF, is struggling with significant damage to Leopard 2 A7 main battle tanks. In the event of an emergency, the alliance must actually have at least 30 ultra-modern combat vehicles available within a few days for the alliance’s rapid military response to possible attacks. At least that’s what Germany promised NATO.

However, as the figures show, this goal will not be achieved. On the other hand, the formation from Thuringia, which has been preparing for the VJTF mission for at least two years, will have to urgently borrow tanks from other parts in order to fulfill its promises. It was this collection of material, which the troops unequivocally called “dynamic control of presence”, that the Bundeswehr actually wanted to stop in order to fulfill NATO tasks. On the other hand, the units intended for the VJTF must be fully provided with material resources.

According to internal information from the German army, only 20 of the approximately 40 tanks of the Thuringian battalion are serviceable. In January, the so-called “net status” was even lower, at just 17 Leopard 2 battle tanks. The document also makes a forecast for next year that doesn’t look particularly rosy. Planners do not expect the battalion to be able to independently support the 30 Leopard 2 tanks promised by NATO by the end of 2023.

The new problems are rather inconvenient for Germany. The VJTF, also often referred to as the alliance’s vanguard, is considered proof that the alliance can effectively respond to Russian aggression. The fact that the Bundeswehr, which has been preparing for this task for years, is weak here again fuels doubts about the reliability of the Germans. The VJTF provides for 8,000 soldiers and in an emergency they should be ready to deploy within a few days.

“The obligations of the VJTF can only be fulfilled with the help of the tank battalion 104,” the Bundeswehr internal document says. This unit is stationed in Bavaria, so in an emergency, the tanks will have to be redeployed from there to Thuringia.

In Bundeswehr circles, they said that the situation was more than uncomfortable. However, the Bundeswehr can fulfill its obligations to NATO with a lot of effort. The Army currently has 40 operational Leopard 2 A7V models, which means that 30 can be allocated to NATO if necessary.