German weaponry under fire: Costly, complex, and unreliable
German weapons are underperforming on the battlefield—they are too expensive, overly complex, and frequently break down, as reported on Friday by "Sueddeutsche Zeitung" and television stations NDR and WDR, citing the experiences of Ukrainian soldiers.
The reports refer to a presentation by the deputy military attaché of the German embassy in Kyiv. At the end of January, this diplomat shared insights from Ukrainian military personnel about the German equipment being used in their fight against Russia. These insights were shared with soldiers at the non-commissioned officer school in Delitzsch, Saxony. Read more here.
The feedback was largely negative. The Ukrainian army has assessed German weaponry as overly complicated, unreliable, excessively costly, and difficult to repair in field conditions.
According to "Sueddeutsche Zeitung," the evaluation was unfavorable.
Ammunition is too expensive, the technology is prone to malfunctions, and repairs are nearly impossible in field conditions, the report states.
The editorial notes that not all types of weapons received negative feedback from the Ukrainians. Exceptions include the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, which was designed in the 1970s and retired from the Bundeswehr in 2010.
This weapon is deemed the "most effective and reliable" system. The Gepard "reliably shoots down Russian drones from the sky, performs well at the frontline, and is generally regarded as robust and unlikely to fail," the report reads. The Marder armored personnel carrier also received favorable reviews.
Ukrainians: This weapon fails the test
However, modern equipment—including the American missile and Patriot anti-aircraft system along with German-manufactured technology such as the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer, Iris-T air defense system, and Leopard 2A6 tank—often fail the test in combat conditions, according to Ukrainian soldiers.
"Complicated equipment is not being utilized. The utility of very modern and complicated equipment is minimal if the military cannot ensure repair capabilities on site," the report from the German attaché notes.
