Germany’s attempts to support the Kurdish fighters opposing ISIS in Iraq with €70 million of second hand military equipment including 16,000 rifles, 2,500 Panzerfaust-3 antitank rockets and over 100 vehicles has yet again hit a major setback as a borrowed Dutch air force transport plane broke down on the runway this afternoon.
The aircraft, which is stranded in Leipzig was intended to take the first delivery of equipment to the Kurds’ estimated 10,000 fighters who have gained international recognition for their steadfast defence against ISIS in Northern Iraq. It was due to depart for Baghdad at 1330, but developed a technical fault on the runway before takeoff and is awaiting the attention of Dutch team of aircraft engineers, reports theLocal.de.
The programme of material assistance announced by the German government at the start of the month called for three separate tranches of equipment and a team of military experts to fly to Iraq to help train the local fighters in its operation.
Today’s flight is the second time in a week a flight for the German army has broken down en route to Iraq. By the original timetable set out on 1 September, this delivery is already a week and a half late and the associated training detachment has been stranded in Bulgaria since last week when its aircraft developed a fault. They are believed to still be there as the Iraqi government has not given them clearance to enter.
German news outlet Deutsche Welle reports that, should the deliveries actually arrive, the €70 million shipment of second-hand equipment will include:
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8,000 G3 assault rifles and 2 million rounds of ammunition
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8,000 G36 assault rifles and 4 million rounds of ammunition
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40 MG3 heavy machine guns and 1 million rounds of ammunition
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8,000 P1 pistols and 1 million rounds of ammunition
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30 MILAN anti-tank weapons and 500 guided rockets
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200 shoulder-fired Panzerfaust 3 rocket launchers and 2,500 rockets
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40 heavy rocket launchers and 1,000 rockets
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100 flare guns and 4,00 rounds
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10,000 hand grenades
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40 WOLF jeeps
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20 armored WOLF jeeps
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40 UNIMOG trucks
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1 tanker truck
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5 DINGO-1 armored vehicles
Germany has declared it will not be joining in the airstrikes or a land invasion against ISIS and instead will consentrate on better arming those local fighters already there. The aid will weight some six hundred tonnes, and will be sufficient to fully equip a brigade sized group of 4,000 men.
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