28 October 2016, 13:16 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — German Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported that obtained a document signed by Germany’s Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, that the country could face a gap in the demand coverage of necessary combat equipment.
In particular, the memo said that the Franco-German C-160 transport aircraft Transall would stop operating by 2021 and that the country was unlikely to begin using the new aircraft A400M Atlas earlier than in 2023.
According to Bundeswehr’s leaked document, the aircraft cooperation with France was criticized by the German military officials since it could result in the long-term dependency on France, which did not have proper conditions for aircraft maintenance.
