"Failure cast in money": Are problems with the digitalisation of the Bundeswehr worse?

Digital communication is vital for the Bundeswehr's land forces. The Ministry of Defense has long dismissed doubts about whether the new radio equipment is on schedule. Internal documents allegedly show that the problems could be more serious than feared.

After a failed test, further questions arise about the Bundeswehr's new radio system. The problems with digitalization may be more serious than the Ministry of Defense has previously admitted, reports "Welt am Sonntag." The ongoing problems with the digitalization of the land forces could have a negative impact on operational readiness. With a solution now planned, consisting of "temporarily equally digitized and still analog" devices, the military will remain "capable of action," the newspaper reports, citing documents from the Ministry of Defense and the Bundeswehr. "In this case, however, a temporary reduction in operational readiness would have to be accepted."

Furthermore, according to research, the entire system will only be usable "for training and exercises" after another test scheduled for November. It is not intended to be combat-ready, however. According to the classified documents, there were already warnings before a failed test in May of this year that the software supplied by a consortium of manufacturers was less capable than required.

In response to reports of problems with the new secure radio devices, the ministry led by SPD politician Boris Pistorius has recently stated several times that the project is on schedule.

The digitalization of land-based operations (D-LBO) involves connecting individual soldiers, vehicle systems, and command vehicles to the deployable command post via secure radio links – both data and voice. In a battle, this is particularly crucial for the forward area of ​​the troops.

Promise to NATO

As recently as September, a Pistorius spokesperson stated that the digitalization of land-based operations was "on schedule." It was still assumed that the so-called Division 2025 would be equipped with the new technology by the end of 2027. Germany had promised NATO a combat-ready brigade by 2025. The 10th Panzer Division was reorganized for this purpose.

"Of course, during these project investigations and tests, there are sometimes points that aren't working yet. That's completely normal," the spokesperson said at the beginning of September. With a view to future application, this isn't a problem. "The board doesn't determine performance, but rather the software on it."

At the end of September, the ministry acknowledged for the first time problems the minister had previously been unaware of. A spokesperson told Der Spiegel: "This week, Minister Pistorius was informed for the first time about possible problems that could lead to delays."

More than €20 billion has been earmarked for command capability and digitalization in the Bundeswehr's special fund. An insider told "Welt am Sonntag" that this new era, with its unlimited financial resources, would produce a clear result for the Bundeswehr's rearmament: "Failure in cash."