Comments by "naas699" (@naas699) on "Trump doubles down on Putin call, trolls EU. Ursula wants EU army. Baltics want blockade of Russia" video.
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From Justin Huggler, Telegraph: German soldiers used broomsticks painted black instead of guns during a joint Nato exercise last year due to severe equipment shortages, it has emerged. The incident took place during exercises for Nato’s rapid response force, formed in reaction to the Ukraine crisis, which is supposed to be ready to deploy anywhere it is needed at very short notice. Soldiers resorted to painting broomsticks black and attaching them to Boxer armoured vehicles to simulate gun barrels. Only 38 of its 89 Tornado bombers are operational, alongside only 280 of the army’s 406 Marten tanks.
From Washington Post: To make matters worse, the broom-equipped German soldiers belong to a crucial, joint NATO task force and would be the first to be deployed in case of an attack. Opposition politicians have expressed concerns about Germany’s ability to defend itself and other European allies, given that even some of the most elite forces lack basic equipment. The central European country was the world’s third-largest arms exporter in 2013, but when it comes to Germany’s own defense politicians have been unwilling to invest. In 2013, Germany spent only 1.3 percent of its GDP on defense — a ratio which was below the average spending of the European members of NATO.
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