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Flops, failures and fumbles - a tale of German defense projects

Miniature armored personnel carriers

The armed personnel carrier HS 30 kicked off the series of German defense project failures. In the mid-1950s, German Defense Minister Franz Josef Strauss ordered several thousand - after having seen a wooden model. They turned out to be too narrow, with chains that were too weak and an inadequate cooling system. For soldiers, disembarking from the moving vehicle was a life-threatening event.

Flops, failures and fumbles - a tale of German defense projects

Starfighter: a suicide mission

The next big failure had far graver consequences. In 1958, Strauss equipped Germany's air force with Lockheed F-104 Starfighters. Of 916 aircraft, 269 crashed. By 1984 a total of 116 Starfighter pilots died - hence the jets were dubbed "widow makers." The Federal Court of Auditors accused Strauss of wasting billions of Deutschmarks. There were also allegations of corruption.

Flops, failures and fumbles - a tale of German defense projects

Submarines allergic to sea water

The first post-war German Type 201 submarines were supposed to be the most modern of their size. But cracks were found in their exterior walls soon after their first use: The steel didn’t withstand seawater. That glitch was fixed in the next generation, the Type 205 submarines. Fortunately, this model could dive deep underwater without the risk of dissolving.

Flops, failures and fumbles - a tale of German defense projects

200 million for a mishap-ship

The series of mishaps for the German Navy continued with battleship "Korvette 130" - which is still not completely functional. Since its inauguration in 2008, there have been a number of unwelcome surprises: loose screws, mold growths, clutch problems and unsuitable armaments are but a few of the deficiencies. Correction work is scheduled to be finished by 2014.

Flops, failures and fumbles - a tale of German defense projects

Eurofighter, the tale of a cost driver

In 2003, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder proudly climbed into the cockpit of a Eurofighter, the most expensive army/air force project up to that point. But one combat jet crashed in a test flight; the steering mechanism had failed. In 2010, ejection seats failed, and all 55 Eurofighters were grounded. In the end, the price of the jet skyrocketed from 50 million euros to 90 million euros.

Flops, failures and fumbles - a tale of German defense projects

The 'Tiger' wouldn't roar

The "Tiger" combat helicopter also started operation later - and at a much higher cost - than initially planned. Army officers said it was unsuitable for combat in Afghanistan, as its armaments, they realized, were insufficient to defend on-the-ground soldiers against attackers. The Tiger was therefore downgraded to a support helicopter rather than a combat helicopter.

Flops, failures and fumbles - a tale of German defense projects

Prestigious project off to rocky start

Some other current projects are also causing problems. The Airbus A400M is supposed to replace older transport aircraft - above all, the Franco-German Transall - in some European countries. The new Airbus was supposed to be operational a long time go, but a number of technical problems kept postponing its launch. Now, Germany is hoping to receive its A400 aircraft by 2020.

Author: Jeanette Seiffert / nh | Editor : Conor Dillon