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Bundeswehr Digital Radio Tests Show Hour-Long Delays and Unstable Networks

Green lawmakers demand accountability from Defense Minister Boris Pistorius after the Munster field trial.

Overview

  • Field tests at the Munster training area recorded chat transmissions taking about 59 minutes, map sketches up to 25 minutes, and instability once more than roughly 20 users joined a circuit.
  • Green MPs Niklas Wagener and Sara Nanni criticized the project’s management and called for consequences, urging Pistorius to explain the failures and outline fixes.
  • The radio element of the D-LBO program is budgeted at €11.5 billion within an overall effort reported at roughly €20 billion to equip more than 200 vehicle types with secure digital communications.
  • Army Inspector Christian Freuding described the modernization as decisive given Russian electronic-warfare capabilities and reaffirmed the goal to equip Division 25 by the end of 2027, with about 16,000 platforms ultimately planned.
  • A multi-year coexistence of legacy and new systems is expected, and another major trial is planned for May 2026 as industry partners work to resolve performance and integration issues.