For several weeks now, the Bundeswehr's Central Spare Parts Logistics (ZEBEL) has apparently had problems supplying the troops with spare parts. Their new location in Wolfhagen near Kassel, which was opened in June, is the most important connection point between the army and industry for material for the repair of tanks and military vehicles. But recently parts have been getting stuck there.
Several sources confirmed difficulties and delays to WirtschaftsWoche. They blame errors in newly introduced warehouse software at the site. “There used to be around 100 error messages a year, but now there are up to 1,000 a day,” says one person involved. The supply of spare parts for tanks and vehicles has been “effectively interrupted”. According to people close to ZEBEL, “almost no more parts will be released.” What can still be delivered is clearly prioritized according to recipients.
Regarding delivery problems, ZEBEL operator Hensoldt points to challenges due to the warehouse move. Wolfhagen is a new location that we have only been moving into since June. “In this phase we are prioritizing exercise projects, closely coordinated with the public client,” it said in a statement. We are not responsible for questions of resilience and redundancy in Bundeswehr logistics. The company also did not respond to the question of technical problems.
The explanations raise further questions. Why is there only one of these central hubs to supply the Bundeswehr with spare parts? And how and why should exercise projects be prioritized “when no parts are being released from the system anyway and there are no relevant Bundeswehr exercises going on,” ask those involved.
Inventories of affected repairers such as Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) are now emptying. If the inflow of parts does not start again within two weeks, around 150 site employees will be at risk of short-time work, according to company circles.
Normally, requested spare parts from the ZEBEL arrive at the workshop in a maximum of two days. However, the physical inflow of material is currently “really trending towards zero,” according to company circles. In the IT system, back-ordered components have only received general status messages such as “not available” for weeks. When will normal operations resume? Unclear.
FFG is still trying to bridge the disruption by postponing work tasks. Within the next few days, however, the operational buffers will be completely empty. Although there is a regulation for purchasing parts yourself up to a value of 1,000 euros, specialized military components can hardly be obtained on the open market at short notice. This apparently leads to confusing situations in the workshops: some tanks and vehicles are standing in the halls “half-finished” and cannot be fully assembled. FFG did not respond to an official query about this from WirtschaftsWoche.
Across the industry, it is estimated that around 500 jobs at repair service providers could be affected by the interruptions, including subsidiaries of Rheinmetall. When asked, a Rheinmetall spokesman referred to the state client: “In principle, contracts with the Bundeswehr as well as details on deliveries, technical specifications and other parameters are subject to confidentiality,” writes the Düsseldorf company.
Among high-ranking soldiers in the army, there is talk of a “total catastrophe with negative effects on operational readiness” regarding the delivery disruption. It is said that almost no vehicle can be repaired at least until the end of the year. Unless you “cannibalize other systems to obtain temporary spare parts”. “The ability to Fight Tonight is in danger of being ridiculed.” This refers to the Bundeswehr's immediate ability to defend the country and alliances.
The research also uncovers serious allegations against the Ministry of Defense. Accordingly, the disruptions in ZEBEL only escalated upwards after several weeks. "In November we will experience a more than critical drop in our material, with daily vehicle failures. But the responsible procurement office in Koblenz is downplaying the case and Berlin would prefer to keep the matter quiet," it is said in discussions.
Minister Boris Pistorius' house has not yet given an answer to an inquiry from WirtschaftsWoche about the delays and how the situation is being handled.
The ZEBEL project has existed since the turn of the millennium. Since then, it has been carried out by ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH, which Hensoldt took over in 2024. It plays a crucial role in operational readiness, as all defense companies and repairers for the repair and maintenance of military vehicles are supplied with spare parts directly from this hub. In June, the central warehouse moved from Kassel to a new Hensoldt logistics center in Wolfhagen. Apparently not without frictional losses.
The fact that only one of these logistics hubs exists between the Bundeswehr and industry is explained by industry circles with structures that have grown over decades. “Centralization is the most important thing in logistics so that material can be distributed cost-effectively and quickly,” says one person involved. However, the current case shows that in critical times this rule can hardly be adhered to. Which, incidentally, has been pointed out to the ministry for a long time.
For comparison: Ukraine now operates numerous logistics centers in the country, some underground, to guarantee supplies for its army even in the event of failures and attacks. In Germany, on the other hand, the Bundeswehr is already lacking spare parts on a large scale. Now the little material available is apparently not even getting through properly.
