But these figures were disputed by Gen Laubenthal, who said the extra Marders are currently used for spare parts to keep its fighting force operational. “That means we are using them, so to speak, so that we can actually deploy those we need for our Nato obligations and on Nato’s eastern flank,” he said. Germany’s military suffered from years of chronic of underfunding under Angela Merkel and it is not uncommon for it to use old stocks for spare parts.
