BERLIN (AP) – First a group of German army instructors got stranded in Bulgaria en route to Iraq when their plane malfunctioned.
Then the weapons they were meant to train Kurdish fighters on got stuck in Germany because a Dutch military plane – brought in because no functioning German aircraft was available – broke down.
As other nations including the United States and France hit Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq, Germany’s army has struggled mightily to conduct the considerably more modest jobs it has taken on. It highlights how far behind other nations Europe’s economic powerhouse is when it comes to projecting its military power.
The plane problems came as a particular embarrassment for Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who had flown to the Kurdish city of Irbil on Thursday to witness the handover of the weapons. By the time Germany’s first shipment of rifles, anti-tank weapons and ammunition arrived, she had landed, met Kurdish leaders and left for home again.
German media have cited a confidential report given to lawmakers on the parliamentary defense committee Wednesday that listed a series of military hardware problems.