defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) wants to use, and despite criticism continue to external consultants, in the modernization of the armed forces. It was undisputed that this was the case of the digitization of the armed forces and the Expansion of the IT infrastructure is necessary, the Minister said on Tuesday during a visit to German soldiers in Northern Afghanistan. “If we want to create, these massive modernisation, we need steps forward, then the Council and Expertise from the outside,” said the CDU politician in the ZDF.
Again, the Minister acknowledged the errors in the awarding of contracts, which would need to be cleared up. The Parliament no longer wanted to listen to the law, all people working in the Federal government. The FDP, greens and the Left had agreed to a parliamentary investigation Committee, after the former state Secretary Katrin Suder didn’t want the defense Committee to answer questions about the use of consultants and cost in the hundreds of millions.
More flexibility for foreign missions
“I think a Committee of inquiry has its opportunities,” said von der Leyen at the field camp in Camp Marmal, to the East of Mazar-i-Sharif. “An investigation Committee may meet in public. That is, it creates more transparency, and each may form his own opinion.“
The foreign missions of soldiers want to make the Bundeswehr in the future, more flexible. The previously existing rule, according to which on 4 months used 20 months of service in Germany, had been changed, said a spokesman for the defense Ministry. In the future, a factor of 1 to 5 apply, as a rule, so that inserts of, for example, one month’s service in the home to be with then five months. The Secretary of defense have approved the new use and mission classification.
