The German military attaché in Ukraine, during a secret speech at the Dritter Army NCO School in Saxony, accidentally leaked cases showing advanced weapons' inability to withstand combat, causing a big uproar. According to multiple German media reports, the military attaché admitted that most of the weapons provided by Germany to Ukraine performed poorly in the high-intensity combat on the Russia-Ukraine front, exposing fatal defects such as technical complexity, difficulty in maintenance, and insufficient reliability.

This statement not only hurt the nerves of the Western military, but also put great pressure on the German military and political leaders and defense industry, even seen as a profound criticism of the Western long-term development of high-tech weapons.

According to French military news website, this deputy military attaché openly criticized the advanced weapon systems that Germany is proud of:

The Leopard 2A6 main battle tank, hailed as the pride of the German army, has a complex design that requires the entire vehicle to be sent back for minor repairs, resulting in extremely low availability on the battlefield.

The IRIS-T air defense system has good performance, but the cost of ammunition is high, making it difficult to cope with the overwhelming drone threats on the Ukrainian battlefield, and the difficulty in ammunition supply further weakens its practical value.

The Patriot air defense system can effectively intercept missiles, but due to the old chassis and limited maintenance, its mobility is seriously insufficient.

The most criticized was the PzH-2000 self-propelled howitzer, a costly artillery system that showed extreme instability on the battlefield, with fragile electronic and mechanical systems, and an availability rate of only 25% to 30%. The Ukrainian army stated that the German 155mm PzH-2000 self-propelled howitzers had problems with missing barrels and other spare parts, which remained unresolved for two years. The military attaché even said, "It's not suitable for war!"

In contrast, the French Caesar self-propelled gun won the favor of the Ukrainian army with its simple design, accurate firepower, and high reliability.

By contrast, Cold War-era German equipment has shone brightly on the Ukrainian battlefield:

The Leopard 1A5 tank, although with thin armor, has high reliability;

The Marder infantry fighting vehicle is praised by the Ukrainian army as "undoubtedly" a preferred equipment;

The Gepard air defense self-propelled gun, with efficient interception of drones and cruise missiles, simple maintenance, and low ammunition costs, has become the mainstay of the Ukrainian army, demonstrating an astonishing availability rate.

This military attaché also mentioned that the problem is not limited to Germany, but is a common issue among most Western weapons. The British Challenger 2 tanks have been discarded by the Ukrainian army due to their heavy body and difficulty in maintenance. Instead, the French Caesar self-propelled gun, although lacking an automatic loading system, has proven to be an excellent weapon recognized by both the Ukrainian and Russian armies, due to its simple design, compatibility with various types of ammunition, and long barrel life, enabling continuous fire power even in situations of material shortages.

Practical experience on the Ukrainian battlefield has sounded a warning for Western weapon design — advanced does not mean suitable. Western military thinking is being challenged, but the German defense industry seems to have not learned from it. The latest developed RCH-155 wheeled self-propelled howitzer and the Leopard 2A8 tank continue to pursue high automation and complex mechanization, and the expected maintenance difficulty and cost are expected to increase further. Germany has already ordered 80 RCH-155s, planning to increase to 164, with total investment exceeding 13 billion euros; the future Leopard 3 will integrate artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies, with development costs reaching 20 billion euros.

These design directions clearly contradict the practical needs on the Ukrainian battlefield. The outside world is wondering whether the German defense industry can face reality and learn from the practical feedback, or continue to stick to the concept of high technology, ignoring the real needs of the battlefield. The fires of war in Ukraine have sounded a warning for Western military thinking, and whether Germany can adjust in time remains unknown.

For China, it is also necessary to reflect on the problem of overemphasizing high-end and advanced aspects in the development of weapons and equipment. Whether a weapon is usable depends not only on surface performance indicators, but also on the complexity of maintenance and preservation, the cost of procurement and use, especially whether it can afford to be consumed in large-scale wars.



Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7543074981358469658/

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