Only 29 Of 66 Germany’s Tornado Fighters Airworthy; Defense Ministry Report

Barely two days before Germany goes to vote in favour of military action against the Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, German defense ministry report said that only 29 of 66 Tornado fighter aircraft are airworthy.

German media quoted German Army’s Chief of Staff Gen Volker Wieker saying that the German flying systems are unworthy.

According to the defense ministry report accessed by local media, the problem persisted because of lack of availability of various spare parts which has resulted in poor overhaul.

As per the report, Germany’s air force capability dwindled from 89 to 38 Tornado fighters in service early last year.

The Defense Minister, Ursula Von der Leyen said, the operation requires only six in the mission.

"Germany will be a more active contributor than it has been until now," Henning Otte, defense expert for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was quoted as saying by Todayszaman news website in a statement last Thursday.

"Not only will we bolster our training mission in northern Iraq but we will, among other things, make a contribution to the fight against ISIL terror with Tornado reconnaissance jets," Otte said.

Apart from Tornadoes, Germany is also contemplating to send a frigate and refueling planes as part of the mission, coalition sources were quoted by the website as saying.