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Germany Moves to Hire €156.7 Million in Consultants as Bundeswehr Digital Radio Falters

Parliament scrutinizes the stalled €20 billion overhaul that underpins Germany’s NATO readiness.

Overview

  • Lawmakers on the Defence Committee sharply criticized Minister Boris Pistorius, warning the digitization project is at risk of failing.
  • The Defence Ministry is seeking roughly €156.7 million in outside support via BWI, with contracts expected for Capgemini, PwC and msg systems.
  • Officials are pursuing a temporary workaround promised for calendar week 47 and preparing a mixed operation that keeps legacy analog radios in service.
  • A decisive software update is not expected before March 2026, and soldiers report three‑second voice overlaps and digital messages taking 10–20 minutes to arrive.
  • Progress remains slow with only eight vehicle types approved for use so far and a goal of 22 by year‑end, the January 2026 start of serial retrofits is deemed questionable, and the Division 2025 unit is not expected to be fully upgraded by end‑2027.