REFILE-Germany splashes out on new VIP jets after G20 debacle
The announcement, made late on Friday, followed the debacle
last year of Chancellor Angela Merkel missing the start of a
Buenos Aires summit of G20 global leaders after a radio failure
made her government jet turn back mid-flight. Defence Minister Ursula Von Der Leyden said Germany would
buy a new Airbus
Buying jets straight from the production line would be a new move for the air force's VIP transport wing: Germany currently operates two ageing second-hand A340s, which are no longer made, as well as some smaller aircraft. The high-profile fleet breakdowns have highlighted the armed forces' broader struggles with trying to raise their level of technical readiness as traditionally placid Berlin moves cautiously towards a more interventionist global posture.
A string of procurement delays, cost overruns and technical mismatches have interfered with attempts to renew the country's naval fleet, while deadlines for selecting a new warplane fleet have repeatedly been missed. Following Merkel G20 debacle, in January international development minister Gerd Mueller was briefly stranded in Malawi after another government jet broke down. (Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- READ MORE ON:
- Nazi Germany
- Chancellor of Germany
- East Germany
- Members Only
- Member Berries
- Member of Parliament
- Angela Merkel
- Olaf Scholz
- Head of government
- Member states of NATO
- NATO phonetic alphabet
- 5.56×45mm NATO
- Net force
- Lebanese Forces
- Air force
- Les Leaders
- Animals as Leaders
- Thought leader
- Moto G
- G Suite
ALSO READ
Global child mortality rates dropped in 2022 but progress slow, UN says
Britain to sign biggest U.S. state-level trade pact yet with Texas
Britain to quash wrongful Post Office convictions
Global electric car sales in February hurt by China's New Year celebrations
Barnie Sanders endorses Susheela Jayapal for Congress