' Doubts about employability Luftwaffe '

- Even before the German Bundestag has decided on the possible deployment of German soldiers over Syria, the parliament has received a chilling glimpse behind the scenes of the Luftwaffe. The German Air Force is in a deplorable state, reports the largest German newspaper Bild. Fewer than half Tornadoes can be used and the much newer Eurofighter, the percentage is 55.

From the sounds opposition criticism. " It is clear that this failure is not recognized for a long time and that is the purchase of spare parts cut ", said defense spokesman Tobias Lindner of the Greens. Alexander Neu Die Linke doubts whether the announced investments of 5.6 billion euros in weapons enough. The purchase of new systems is given the poor state of existing machines already quite surprising, he told news agency DPA.

Of the 93 Tornados which purchased the Luftwaffe, there are 66 active and 29 of them are employable. Last year the figure was 38. The Eurofighter was last year 57 percent deployed, this year has dropped to 55 percent. Across the board, the German Air Force aims for employability rate of 70 percent.

Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen sees no problems for the use of machines in the struggle against Islamic State. " Thirty Tornadoes are employable and to it we have six required. That means we have a wide latitude ", said the minister at the channel ARD.