Overview

• A May field exercise in Munster was aborted and the new D-LBO systems were deemed not troop-ready due to overly complex software and unstable voice connections.
• Despite the failed test, installations have begun in Panzerbrigade 37, which project participants warn could reduce the brigade’s operational readiness.
• Vehicle integration is lagging, with smooth installation reported for about 30 of roughly 200 targeted types while dozens face unresolved issues such as insufficient alternator voltage.
• Defence Minister Boris Pistorius was briefed only in mid-September and has ordered senior leadership to investigate and propose corrective measures.
• The ministry and industry are preparing a bridge solution combining digital devices with legacy analog radios, aiming for software updates before a November Munster test and a technical fix by calendar week 47.