BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's military must move faster to tackle persistent gaps in personnel and equipment that are hampering troops at a time when the country is taking on more responsibilities in NATO, a new report said on Tuesday.
The annual report by Hans-Peter Bartels, parliamentary ombudsman for the armed forces, follows a spate of media reports about shortfalls in everything from tanks to body armour that have raised concerns about whether Germany will be ready to take command of a NATO rapid response force next year.