Head of the German Air Force, Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, said publicly at an event in Berlin on Jun. 27 that the “Luftwaffe is at a low point.”
Julian Herzog [GFDL or CC BY 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons
Gerhartz said that his recent inspections of several bases revealed serious deficits in the readiness of aircraft and other equipment.
A 400-hour inspection of the Eurofighter now takes 14 months instead of seven.
“Aircraft are grounded due to a lack of spare parts, or they aren’t even on site since they’re off for maintenance by the industry,” Gerhartz said at the event.