Dust, stony roads and temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius (120 F) have knocked out half of the Bundeswehr vehicles deployed to Mali as part of the UN's Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission, German daily "Die Welt" reported Wednesday. The military has been unable to promptly ship the necessary replacement parts to the UN base at Camp Castor in Gao, Mali, where the facilities also aren't quite up to the German standards for maintenance.

"The mission fulfillment vis-a-vis the UN is guaranteed," a Bundeswehr officer deployed to Mali told the paper. "Operating conditions, however, regularly push us to the technological breaking point."

The Bundeswehr's Tiger combat helicopter, meant to be operational by May 1, has not been cleared to operate in temperatures exceeding 43.26 degrees Celsius, "Die Welt" reported. Daytime temperatures near Gao, in the West African desert, are projected to run 43-45 C for the foreseeable weeks, meaning the Tiger will stay mostly on the ground rather than flying stabilization sorties.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Manufacturing fault The Eurofighter is the German military's most modern fighter jet. As a result of a manufacturing error, the 16-meter-long plane's flight hours have been cut from 3,000 to 1,500. The Defense Ministry says the manufacturing error has no consequences for the Eurofighter's deployment.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Very advanced … in years Tornado fighters have been flying for 40 years. Currently, only 38 of Germany's 89 fighters are operational. The Transall C-160 planes suffer from a similar fate: only 25 of the existing 57 transport planes, developed in the 1960s, are combat ready. The Transall's successor Airbus A400M has been delayed for years.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Defective helicopters The Bundeswehr's fleet of helicopters is also hard-hit. Only ten of the 31 modern Tiger combat helicopters are operational, and only four of 22 Sea Lynx anti-submarine helicopters are airworthy. The NH90 and CH53 transport copters have similar deficiency rates.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Not making any tracks Only 70 of the 189 Boxer transport tanks are currently available for training or operation purposes. In case of an emergency, the Bundeswehr could deploy about half of the 406 Marder armored personnel carriers. The track vehicle was launched in 1971.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Glitches at sea In December 2001, the Bundeswehr decided to purchase five K130 corvettes, scheduled to be operational in 2007. Faulty gear drives, air conditioning and software were to blame for a lengthy delay. Even after the warships were launched, only two were immediately operational.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Consequences for von der Leyen? The defense equipment issue is the first major crisis Ursula von der Leyen faces since taking over the defense portfolio at the end of 2013. Her predecessors are to blame, however, for cutting costs for spare parts. Von der Leyen refers to a "phase of drastic change" in the airplane sector and "shortages" due to repairs. Author: Sven Pöhle / db



mkg/sms (AFP, dpa)