How the German military is fighting coronavirus

March 26, 2020

Social distancing, lockdown orders, self-isolating at home — soldiers are no strangers to these notions anymore either. The German military, like many other employers, has told any personnel who are able to carry out their work from a laptop at home that they must do so.

Likewise, the morning drills outside the barracks now take place not shoulder to shoulder, but spaced-out, with two-meter (two-yard) gaps. Tank drills, which normally involve several soldiers sitting together in close confinement, are being stripped down and canceled wherever possible. All this is being done according to the guidelines of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s main public health agency.

The measures have consequences for Germany’s military missions abroad: The contingent stationed in Afghanistan is being temporarily pared down, and a major maneuver has been canceled, as have all training units that are not essential for preparing for foreign missions.

In the midst of all this, the Bundeswehr is insisting that all its NATO obligations are still being fulfilled and that the military’s combat readiness will be maintained throughout.

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Medical units in action

According to the German Defense Ministry, as of March 26, 160 soldiers have been infected with the virus, only two of whom required hospitalization. The majority have had only mild symptoms and are convalescing at home, while another 700 soldiers are in quarantine because they had contact with the soldiers infected.

German soldiers demonstrate treating a patient as AKK looks on (picture-alliance/dpa/O. Dietze)

The German military has had to show new flexibility to help combat the coronavirus outbreak

The Bundeswehr’s medical units comprise around 20,000 soldiers, who are now in action preparing the military’s five hospitals for what could be an intense period over the next few weeks. Altogether, these hospitals have 105 intensive care beds with ventilators, which is enough in normal circumstances, but not if the worst-case scenario unfolds. For that reason, the number of beds is now being increased.

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‘Helping where we can’

A spokeswoman for the medical service in the Defense Ministry is optimistic that the Bundeswehr can successfully support the civilian population if the crisis escalates. “We’re well-prepared,” she told DW. “And we’re helping where we can.”

As part of that support, the military’s procurement office, normally responsible for buying weapons and equipment, now has €241 million ($261 million) allocated to find medical protective gear on the global market, which the Health Ministry is to distribute among clinics and doctors’ offices across Germany.

On top of that, the Bundeswehr has already started to provide food, camp beds and mobile doctors’ facilities and is storing medical goods in its barracks. A few weeks ago, 125 German civilians were also flown out of Wuhan province in China, the first epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, in military planes.

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A man holds a medical mask (picture-alliance/dpa/K.-J. Hildenbrand)

The German military has allocated funds to procure medical protective gear

Reservists volunteering

The Bundeswehr spokeswoman also said the military had been “positively surprised” that 6,000 reservists had volunteered to help in the crisis. These include some 240 medics, doctors, pharmacists and care workers who have now joined in the effort.

Patrick Sensburg, Christian Democrat parliamentarian and head of the German reservists’ association, was also surprised and used the opportunity to call for a reintroduction of national service.

“We have found out, in this crisis, how valuable solidarity, public spirit and the oft-cited essential workers are,” he told Die Welt newspaper. “These are precisely the values and the professions that would profit from public service.”

But that is all a problem for the future. For now, what remains essential is making sure that the Bundeswehr is in a position to do what it can to help in the crisis.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment

Faulty tanks and grounded helicopters

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