Confidence in German army’s ability to repel an attack falls to record low

The confidence of Germans in their armed forces has reached the lowest point on record, according to a survey conducted annually by Infratest dimap for the Die Welt newspaper.

More Germans than ever expressed concerns over the Bundeswehr’s ability to repel an attack on the country or one of its allies, and they believe deficiencies in the armed forces’ equipment and procurement system are greatly stifling Germany’s military capabilities.

Just 35 percent of respondents claimed to have “very great” or “great” trust in the Bundeswehr as a whole, the lowest number to be recorded by the survey, which has existed for the past 25 years.

When asked whether the Bundeswehr had the capability of warding off a possible attack on NATO territory, 54 percent of Germans had “little” or “no” confidence in its ability to do so.

Dangerously underfunded German army is only capable of fulfilling NATO obligations to a ‘limited extent,’ leaked report reveals

Germany’s armed forces are suffering from a “considerable capability deficit” and are struggling to be operationally ready to take control of a key NATO joint task force next year, a classified defense report reveals

A staggering 85 percent do not believe the current equipment available to the Bundeswehr is fit for use, a concern highlighted in December last year when German newspaper Der Spiegel revealed that not a single one of Germany’s 18 modernized Puma tanks intended for the NATO Rapid Reaction Force (NRF) were deemed fit for action during a recent military drill.

When asked about Germany’s decision to supply arms and battle tanks to Ukraine, respondents were somewhat mixed on whether this was a good move. While 52 percent of respondents approve the decision to send Leopard tanks to Kyiv, 39 percent consider it a mistake, and almost 6 in 10 Germans (59 percent) are either “greatly” or “very gravely” concerned that Germany is being drawn directly into the war, up 3 percentage points from October last year.

Germans also remain concerned about the impact the war is having on the German economy, although this appears to be waning somewhat. A total of 68 percent believe the economic situation in Germany is deteriorating, down 12 percentage points from its peak in April last year.

German army faces acute munitions and parts shortage, leaked report claims

Germany only has two days’ worth of heavy munitions should another conflict erise

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