The German army (Bundeswehr) has logistical deficiencies that currently prevent it from carrying out its assigned missions within the framework of NATO, according to a secret report written by the German weekly Der Spiegel on Tuesday, Agerpres reports.

In a report prepared by the German Ministry of Defense and which, according to the same publication, will be discussed on Wednesday by the defense committee of the federal parliament, it is recognized that, in particular, the ability of the Bundeswehr to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank is “partially limited”.

For example, the German army is unable to provide artillery forces to the NATO battle group stationed in Lithuania, and also to guarantee its full defense with Patriot batteries. There are also disadvantages in the field of telecommunications, as there are no protected digital devices from enemy interception attempts.

Germany’s contribution to NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) next year is also limited by a delay in the implementation of digitization projects, the report also shows.

It also signals deficiencies in the defense of Germany’s airspace, as the radar systems are outdated and, while functional, prone to failure.

Germany and the defense budget

According to Der Spiegel, Minister of Defense, Social Democrat Christine Lambrecht called for a faster increase in military spending in the conclusions of the report.

“Deficits in personnel, military equipment, infrastructure, and spare parts and ammunition resulting from decades of structural underfunding cannot be solved with the stroke of a pen,” Lambrecht summed up.

The government in Berlin announced last week that it could only promise to meet NATO’s target of 2% of GDP on defense from 2025, arguing that the capabilities of the arms industry were preventing it from meeting that target.

The defense allocation of 2% of GDP has been set by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government for the current year’s financial operations in line with NATO commitments, German executive spokesman Steffen Hebestreit confirmed at a press conference.

Whether that target will be met next year remains an “open” question, but in any case Germany is “determined (…) to reach the 2% target during this parliament”, which ends in 2025, the spokesman assured.