The German army is increasingly becoming weaker due to a lack of funding and a number of technical shortcomings.
Founded in the post-WWII period, the Bundeswehr was one of the largest armies in the world, possessing the most advanced military equipment and well-prepared soldiers.
The country is currently spending only 1.2% of its GDP on defense, even less than the 2% recommended by NATO. The lack of financing led, for its turn, to the reduction of the arsenal of armored vehicles, weapons and aircraft.
For instance, Germany was originally to purchase 180 Eurofighters, but cancelled its order in 2014 due to domestic budget pressures. Now it will acquire only 143 fighters.
The situation with German Leopard II tanks is quite similar. After the end of the Cold War, Germany reduced its tank force by nearly 90% from 2,125 units to just 225.
At the same time, serious technical shortcomings have been revealed by the G36 assault rifle, which has been part of the standard equipment of German soldiers since 1996. The weapon was discovered to heat up during continuous fire and become incapable of hitting targets.
