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German army faces shortage of specialists: report

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Berlin, August 4, IRNA
Germany-Military-Army
The German army is like many companies facing a shortage of specialists as a result of the country's flourishing economy, the weekly Der Spiegel news magazine said in a report ahead of its publication on Sunday.

The army has especially a lack of information technology and data processing specialists but also pilots and aircraft mechanics, the German Defense Ministry said following a query by the opposition Free Democratic Party (FDP).

The military is confronted with "an increasingly strong competitive situation" with the private business sector, the ministry added.

German armed forces are also experiencing a shortage of manpower among its elite KSK troopers as well as frogmen, undersea mine divers, infantrists and paratroopers.

Berlin has launched a major privatization campaign of its army in 2003 under then-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder whose objective was to cut military administrative expenses by contracting private firms.

The cost savings saved were to be allocated to modernize the German military apparatus.

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