Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[Solmyr]

NATO reports that Russian troops are withdrawing from Ukraine.

Is this the fourth or fifth time now?

[mongers]

FFS.  Maybe some museums over here can lend some Fw 190s back to Germany.

Or just some old F-104s.  SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED!

I own a 1970s concept album about the German starfighter scandal, it's actually quite amusing(intentionally) and has some good tracks on it, 'catching a falling starfighter' and 'Ejection' spring to mind:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Lockheed_and_the_Starfighters 

[Syt]

Welle Erdball also has a song about the Starfighter, from the perspective of the son of a then defense minister who crashed with the plane.

[Razgovory]

You guys didn't think I picked the Starfighter out of the blue did you?

[celedhring]

You guys didn't think I picked the Starfighter out of the blue did you?

You made me check wikipedia...

German Air Force losses totaled 110 pilots.

[Warspite]

At first, I read this

...forced to cannibalise parts from existing planes and only eight of the country's 109 Eurofighters are fully operational

as

...forced to cannibalise parts from existing planes and only eight of the country's 109s are fully operational

[celedhring]

At first, I read this

...forced to cannibalise parts from existing planes and only eight of the country's 109 Eurofighters are fully operational

as

...forced to cannibalise parts from existing planes and only eight of the country's 109s are fully operational

Heh, me too actually.

[mongers]

At first, I read this

...forced to cannibalise parts from existing planes and only eight of the country's 109 Eurofighters are fully operational

as

...forced to cannibalise parts from existing planes and only eight of the country's 109s are fully operational

Actually, I think that would have a greater deterrent effect on Eastern Europeans than eurofighters. 

[Tamas]

Poland has already cut of her gas transit to Ukraine after the Russians started pissing in the general direction of their contract with Poland and started transiting less gas to them.

Hungary, the only country in the region not being punished by Gazprom for selling gas to Ukraine, has decided to stop those sales on her own. As such, the Ukrainians are fucked come this winter.

[Martinus]

Hey resident Krauts, I have a question - apparently the German defense minister said in a widely commented interview that German army is not ready to fulfil Germany's NATO treaty obligations. Given that this is a hugely embarrassing thing for a country to admit publicly, what's the reason for this? A desperate last ditch attempt to stir German public and politicians from complacency or a wink to Russia, giving it a free reign in Eastern Europe?

[Zanza]

Looks like the military lied to the civilian leadership about the actual availability of equipment and that came out now. There was just nothing to deny anymore.

[Malicious Intent]

Hey resident Krauts, I have a question - apparently the German defense minister said in a widely commented interview that German army is not ready to fulfil Germany's NATO treaty obligations. Given that this is a hugely embarrassing thing for a country to admit publicly, what's the reason for this? A desperate last ditch attempt to stir German public and politicians from complacency or a wink to Russia, giving it a free reign in Eastern Europe?

Von der Leyen merely reacted to what has already become public knowledge in the recent days. By this time, she might hope to get more funds for the Bundeswehr out of this embarrassing situation. But mainly, she tries to appear as problem solver by sacking the head of procurement, Harald Stein, as scapegoat.

[CountDeMoney]

apparently the German defense minister said in a widely commented interview that German army is not ready to fulfil Germany's NATO treaty obligations.

And that's any different since, oh, 1985 how, exactly?

[Malicious Intent]

  I thought the Bundeswehr was pretty much at it's peak in the mid to late 80s. It saw a massive modernization of it's equipment since the late 70s (like the introduction of the Leo 2) and had a standing strength of 500.000, 1.3 million when mobilized. It was only after the reunification that the Bundeswehr was reformed to death.

[Admiral Yi]

When did they abolish the draft?  That's when die Krautishe Heere went Belgian IMO.