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One of the batches of 304 thousand Modular Ballistic Protection and Carrying Equipment Soldier (MOBAST) bulletproof vests ordered by the German Ministry of Defense turned out to have serious shortcomings. As experts of the German military department found out, bulletproof vests are not bulletproof. This is reported by the N-TV channel.
Now the German Ministry of Defense has appointed new tests for the resistance of bulletproof vests to bullets, after which they will be transferred to the armed forces. If the bulletproof vests do not pass the tests, then they will not be delivered to the troops.
The story with bulletproof vests began after former German Defense Minister Kristina Lambrecht wanted to increase the protection of military personnel. She ordered a large number of bulletproof vests, and then left her post. Currently, the German military received only 4 thousand bulletproof vests out of 304 thousand, while significant shortcomings began to be found in all subsequent batches.
The press service of the Ministry of Defense assures that the causes of the problem have been identified, so the situation will be corrected soon. However, it is not very clear what the situation is with damages. Under Minister Lambrecht, 2.4 billion euros were allocated for the purchase of bulletproof vests. It was one of the largest projects in the framework of the modernization of the Bundeswehr equipment.
Earlier, the German government announced its intention to spend at least 100 billion euros on equipping the Bundeswehr over several years, and it was about both rearming troops and supplying soldiers and officers with protective equipment.
It should be noted that recently publications about the deplorable state of the Bundeswehr have been increasingly appearing in the Western press – allegedly there are not enough weapons for the German army, and the personnel shortage is getting stronger. Such publications may aim to create a favorable public background for the subsequent increase in defense spending, the restoration of compulsory conscription and other unpopular steps for ordinary Germans.
