Germany to end anti-‘Islamic State’ mission in March

The German parliament on Thursday voted to end the Bundeswehr’s anti-“Islamic State” (IS) mission in Syria and Iraq after March 31, 2020.

The Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD) have been in a tussle over extending the mission’s mandate, with the SPD demanding the German military end its role in the international coalition.

Read more: Germany’s Syria conundrum

The SPD has opposed extending the military mission, arguing that former Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen had promised parliament to terminate the anti-IS mandate.

The mandate was set to expire at the end of October and would normally have been extended by a year.

Germany has four Tornado reconnaissance jets, an AWAC aircraft and an in-flight refueling tanker based in Jordan carrying out missions as part of a US-led international coalition.

Lawmakers also voted to extend the Bundeswehr’s military training mission in Iraq for one year.

The decision to end Germany’s participation the anti-IS mission comes as Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has suggested the creation of an international security zone in northeast Syria.

The United States has urged Germany to continue its participation in the anti-IS mission. 

• Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment

  Faulty tanks and grounded helicopters — today in the German military

  Frustrated soldiers and a defense system struggling to repair its way into a fully functioning military. And a new defense minister who will have to regain confidence from army representatives.

• Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment

  Defective helicopters

  Ageing helicopters have proved a big hurdle for the German military. The Bundeswehr has grounded all its 53 Tiger helicopters, after engineers said technical faults needed attention. Defense services were also forced to recall 22 Sea Lynx anti-submarine helicopters in 2014, confirming newspaper reports of malfunction.

• 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, only four of the 128 planes were in action in 2018. A pilot was killed in June 2019 when two Eurofighters collided in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, prompting fresh calls for further restrictions on the plane’s use.

• Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment

  Let’s replace it… as soon as we make a decision

  Tornado fighters have been flying for over 40 years. CDU plans to replace the ageing planes were thrown into question by the center-left SPD in February 2019. But some officials claim flying the Tornado after 2030 could cost Germany around €8 billion ($9 billion) in repair costs.

• Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment

  Not making any tracks

  New Puma tanks for the German military came into use in 2018. Only 27 of the 71 Pumas were immediately ready for deployment — which prompted a fresh backlash against then Defense Secretary Ursula von der Leyen.

• Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment

  Glitches at sea

  New F125 frigates — but they are’t ready yet. German plans to replace the old frigates stalled in 2018, due to there not being enough spare parts to make them seaworthy. Officials also said Germany would have to soon stop signing up to NATO and UN missions in the same year — the country just did not have enough ships spare.

• Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment

  Headache for AKK?

  She has not been in the job long, but Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has inherited a huge problem. Old equipment being grounded is now a regular and pressing occurrence. Former Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen signed a deal to develop a “Future Combat Air System” in June — which is scheduled to replace Germany’s air force by 2040.

  Author: Sven Pöhle / db

cw/stb (dpa, epd)

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