Internal documents reveal the German Bundeswehr’s digital radio communication upgrade is facing significantly deeper and more debilitating issues than previously acknowledged, raising serious questions about the readiness of its forces and the effectiveness of government oversight. According to a report in “Welt am Sonntag” based on a dozen highly confidential files from the Ministry of Defence and military units, the serial integration of new radio systems, despite a halted field test in May, is continuing – but at the unacceptable cost of diminished operational readiness within the land forces.
The planned compromise, a “temporary” hybrid solution involving both digitized and analog equipment, allows for “military operational capability” but necessitates an unavoidable “temporary reduction in readiness”. This is particularly concerning for Panzerbrigade 37, currently designated as a rapid reaction force within NATO’s Forward Land Force (FLF). The documents suggest that even after a further assessment slated for November, the entire system will only be suitable for training exercises, not for actual combat operations. A critical decision regarding the continuation of the integration process into 2026 has been pushed out to the fourth quarter of 2025, signaling prolonged uncertainty.
The confidential papers detail warnings, predating the failed May test, concerning the software provided by a consortium of manufacturers, highlighting its performance falling short of requirements. A software patch was even applied prior to testing, but failed to address the underlying deficiencies. Subsequent assessments, contained within classified interim reports, bluntly concluded the system was “not combat-ready”. The failure at the Munster training ground is termed “critical” with some reported flaws so severe as to “prohibit use by troops at this time.
Specific vulnerabilities are alarming. The processes for distributing encryption keys are described as overly cumbersome, while frequency management requires a prohibitive 40-day lead time, compared to the one day needed in a real-world emergency. The system’s susceptibility to human error is also flagged as a significant risk. During the May tests, users reportedly took two hours to master the devices, a timeframe only achieved within meticulously controlled laboratory conditions facilitated by a team of IT specialists and the use of camouflage-painted Volkswagen Transporter – nicknamed “Widder” – acting as technical support vehicles. The notion of deploying a VW Bulli under fire in a combat scenario is deemed obviously impractical.
The concluding assessment of the test outcomes is stark; the radio equipment is “not suitable for use by troops”. This shortfall, the report asserts, “contradicts the tactical necessities in wartime”. Critics are likely to point to these failings as evidence of inadequate procurement oversight and a potential breach of Germany’s commitment to NATO readiness, particularly as the alliance confronts increasing geopolitical instability. The situation raises fundamental questions about the efficacy of oversight within the defence ministry and the prioritization of modernization within the Bundeswehr.
