Overview
- A confidential Defence Ministry letter to lawmakers says the D-LBO program has cost about €1.749 billion plus €299 million in add‑ons, yet the core system is not approved even for basic training use.
- An internal Bundeswehr report said a second field trial in late 2025 was aborted because of severe errors that the testers warned posed a danger to life and limb.
- After the new kit was installed in Leopard 2 tanks, simple voice calls failed or came through too quiet, crews could not tell if they had transmitted, and an immediate fire‑stop command could not be relied on.
- The breakdown leaves units such as the new Brigade Litauen without secure command radio and puts the goal to digitize a full army division by the end of 2027 at risk.
- Political pressure is rising as Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann blasted planning and oversight, asked where the defence minister is, and reports say the ministry downplayed problems under Boris Pistorius.