DefenceTalkGermany’s voluntary military service is a soldier’s taster course for young men and women. Almost 30 percent of those who take part abandon the training early. The army doesn’t seem to mind – it has other priorities. Homesickness, a career, false expectations: Those are the main reasons why young men and women decide to end […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germany-frets-over-high-military-dropout-rate-48829/

DefenceTalkCivilian and military logisticians from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command’s Theater Logistics Support Center-Europe and Maintenance Activity Kaiserslautern are at Kaiserslautern Army Depot preparing M2A2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles for retrograde and transportation to the U.S. The departure of the 88 Bradleys coincides with the departure of M1 Abrams tanks from Europe earlier this year, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/end-of-era-bradley-fighting-vehicles-leave-germany-48665/

DefenceTalkGermany has started withdrawing its soldiers and material from Afghanistan. The move poses a great logistical challenge and will also be expensive. Despite the Bundeswehr’s experience in overseas assignments, getting its equipment out of Afghanistan will prove to be an unprecedented logistical challenge. According to information provided by the German military, it will have to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germany-starts-moving-equipment-out-of-afghanistan-48626/

DefenceTalkA German government auditor has criticized the Defense Ministry’s level of financial oversight surrounding a failed drone program. The Euro Hawk project was described as having “many weaknesses.” According to auditors, the government spent 668 million euros ($822 million) in developing the Euro Hawk drone program, but it was canceled this year after it was […]https://www.defencetalk.com/german-auditor-criticizes-euro-hawk-drone-project-failings-48607/

DefenceTalkThe German parliament has taken on the task of conducting a rapid-fire investigation into the Euro Hawk drone debacle. With elections looming, the defense minister’s testimony could prove politically explosive. In a period of just days, German parliamentarians hope to conduct an investigation into the failure of the 600-million-euro Euro Hawk drone project, a process […]https://www.defencetalk.com/german-defense-minister-to-face-grilling-over-euro-hawk-debacle-48549/

DefenceTalkEurocopter and the German Federal Ministry of Defense today signed a contract for 15 EC645 T2 Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to be used by Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK), Germany’s Special Forces Command. With this order, the Bundeswehr has now joined the customer list for the most powerful model in Eurocopter’s proven EC145 family. The contract, worth […]https://www.defencetalk.com/german-special-forces-order-ec645-helicopters-48418/

DefenceTalkGeneral Dynamics European Land Systems was awarded a contract by the German Procurement Agency, Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), for the delivery of 100 Eagle V Protected Command Vehicles for the “GFF Klasse 2” Program. This contract includes an option for the purchase of 76 additional vehicles. The Eagle V is […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germany-orders-100-eagle-v-4x4-vehicles-48243/

DefenceTalkGermany’s foreign intelligence service plans a major expansion of Internet surveillance despite deep unease over revelations of US online spying, Der Spiegel news weekly reported Sunday. Spiegel said that the BND planned a 100 million euro ($130 million) program over the next five years to expand web monitoring with up to 100 new staff members […]https://www.defencetalk.com/german-spy-service-plans-more-online-surveillance-report-48140/

DefenceTalkThe Euro Hawk is still making waves in Germany, even after the defense ministry pulled the plug on the surveillance drone project last week. The problems were obvious long before the debacle. The German representatives involved in the Euro Hawk project still sounded confident back in December of 2012. “The project has reached a level […]https://www.defencetalk.com/german-defense-ministry-was-aware-of-euro-hawk-doubts-47874/

DefenceTalkUnmanned weapons systems are fast becoming an indispensable aspect of modern warfare. But their use raises ethical questions which Germany has just begun to address. The growing use of so-called remote-controlled drones for surveillance and active warfare has raised a number of ethical questions, prompting a debate between supporters and opponents of the technology in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/drone-use-raises-ethical-questions-in-germany-47863/