Germany's Military Upgrade Hobbled by Bureaucracy

Legal Battle Over a New Assault Rifle
Another example of problems with procurement is the G36 — the main assault rifle currently used by German troops. In 2015, the defense minister at the time, Ursula von der Leyen, decided to withdraw it after tests suggested it overheated and lost accuracy from intense use, or in hot weather. From 2017 onwards, efforts began to find its replacement. Then, there were apparently testing errors on the part of the bureaucracy. “Today, in the year 2022, the entire process is mired a legal dispute, with a decision expected in the [northern hemisphere] autumn at the earliest. That is far too long for a relatively simple product such as an assault rifle,” Frank Sauer from the Bundeswehr University in Munich told DW.

Is the procurement process the source of all the issues surrounding the Bundeswehr’s armament — because it takes German regulatory and quality standards to the point of excess? “Of course, the German defense bureaucracy is absolutely monstrous,” said Sauer. “But just passing the buck to the BAAINBw does not really get us anywhere.” The procurement office can only operate within the framework set out in the law, with little leeway.

Peacetime Luxury of Over-Bureaucratization
This is because the procurement office must comply with EU rules on tenders as well as with political decisions. “Many problems stem from outside the procurement office because it essentially does what it is told,” Christian Mölling, research director of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) told DW. If the legal frameworks and political requirements changed, processes could be made simpler and faster.

The causes of the equipment debacle are also rooted in recent German history. After the Cold War ended, politicians imposed an austerity policy on the armed forces and the defense budget shrank. Many weapons and weapons systems became obsolete. The equipment was neglected, while the administration grew ever more bloated.

Overall, we have set ourselves up very comfortably in peacetime, and in this context, we have completely over-bureaucratized many things. We feel the effects of that, painfully, now,” said researcher Frank Sauer. This turning point also means “finally rethinking, becoming more flexible and agile — as demanded by the security challenges of the 21st century. This must start in the Defense Ministry.”

The first steps toward reform have been taken. Germany’s Cabinet decided that urgently needed goods can be procured directly without a big process, in accordance with an EU exemption. Direct buying also applies to all products that cost less than €1,000. “But there is a lack of improved processes and clear taking on of responsibility. Without more streamlined and faster processes, the sourcing of larger items of equipment will again take too long,” Sauer criticized.

Everything is Right and Yet All Wrong
The DGAP research director Christian Mölling views the projects which are due to be financed under the 100 billion euro special fund as a huge logistical challenge. “We have a mountain of procurement ahead of us, which requires an incredible amount of oversight and fine-tuning, for which the apparatus is obviously not prepared.” Consequently, there was a lot of room for error. “We will experience unpleasant developments over many years,” Mölling predicted.

He is concerned that the focus may not be on the quality of the procurement but on compliance. “In the end, it will then be: We have ticked all the boxes, all the regulations have been complied with, and the result is that the Bundeswehr is not capable of defense and deployment.”

Ralf Bosen is editor at DW. This article is published courtesy of Deutsche Welle (DW).