Germany starts arming the Kurds in Iraq

[Tender Branson]

The German government has decided to deliver weapons and munitions worth a total of 70 million euros ($91 million) to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. DW provides an overview of the weapons systems in question.

Total weapons, munitions, and vehicles:

10,000 hand grenades
  8,000 G3 assault rifles; 2 million rounds of ammunition
  8,000 G36 assault rifles; 4 million rounds of ammunition
  8,000 P1 pistols; 1 million rounds of ammunition
     200 shoulder-fired Panzerfaust 3 rocket launchers; 2,500 rockets    
     100 flare guns; 4,000 rounds
       40 MG3 heavy machine guns; 1 million rounds of ammunition
       40 heavy rocket lauchers; 1,000 rockets
       40 WOLF jeeps
       40 UNIMOG trucks
       30 MILAN anti-tank weapons; 500 guided rockets
       20 lightly armored WOLF jeeps
         5 DINGO-1 armored vehicles
         1 tanker truck

The weapons will be delivered in three tranches to a secure region of Iraq that has not been affected by the civil war, according to the German Defense Ministry. An initial partial delivery will leave Germany in the next two weeks and arrive in Irbil via Baghdad. The entire first delivery to northern Iraq will be completed by the end of September. The second and third deliveries will depend on the situation on the ground.

http://www.dw.de/german-weapons-deliveries-to-iraqs-kurdish-region/a-17892161

[dead0man]

That's a lot of small arms and light armor.  I guess a couple of Leopard 2s was out of the question?  Perhaps a lack of training made those out of the question.  Speaking of training, MILANs aren't point and click easy (pretty close I guess) and a lot of the other stuff are going to need some kind of assistance on the ground....is Germany sending trainers too?

I also liked this part
8,000 G3 assault rifles; 2 million rounds of ammunition
40 MG3 heavy (it's not a heavy) machine guns; 1 million rounds of ammunition

The 80 (it's a crew served weapon) guys operating the MG3s are going to be busy.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

That's a lot of small arms and light armor.  I guess a couple of Leopard 2s was out of the question?  Perhaps a lack of training made those out of the question.  Speaking of training, MILANs aren't point and click easy (pretty close I guess) and a lot of the other stuff are going to need some kind of assistance on the ground....is Germany sending trainers too?

I also liked this part
8,000 G3 assault rifles; 2 million rounds of ammunition
40 MG3 heavy (it's not a heavy) machine guns; 1 million rounds of ammunition

The 80 (it's a crew served weapon) guys operating the MG3s are going to be busy.

Not really.  1 million rounds of ammo spread among 40 MG3s amounts to a mere half minute of ammunition per gun.  Of course, there's plenty of suppliers for 7.62mm NATO belt ammo, so that isn't a real problem.

[patrick1]

That's a lot of small arms and light armor.  I guess a couple of Leopard 2s was out of the question?  Perhaps a lack of training made those out of the question.  Speaking of training, MILANs aren't point and click easy (pretty close I guess) and a lot of the other stuff are going to need some kind of assistance on the ground....is Germany sending trainers too?

I also liked this part
8,000 G3 assault rifles; 2 million rounds of ammunition
40 MG3 heavy (it's not a heavy) machine guns; 1 million rounds of ammunition

The 80 (it's a crew served weapon) guys operating the MG3s are going to be busy.

Not really.  1 million rounds of ammo spread among 40 MG3s amounts to a mere half minute of ammunition per gun.  Of course, there's plenty of suppliers for 7.62mm NATO belt ammo, so that isn't a real problem.

?, the rate of fire is 1000-1300 rpm and that was if the Kurds were superhuman/morons and liked inksing their barrels.

[Cory]

Now if only they would start arming the Ukrainians....

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

That's a lot of small arms and light armor.  I guess a couple of Leopard 2s was out of the question?  Perhaps a lack of training made those out of the question.  Speaking of training, MILANs aren't point and click easy (pretty close I guess) and a lot of the other stuff are going to need some kind of assistance on the ground....is Germany sending trainers too?

I also liked this part
8,000 G3 assault rifles; 2 million rounds of ammunition
40 MG3 heavy (it's not a heavy) machine guns; 1 million rounds of ammunition

The 80 (it's a crew served weapon) guys operating the MG3s are going to be busy.

Not really.  1 million rounds of ammo spread among 40 MG3s amounts to a mere half minute of ammunition per gun.  Of course, there's plenty of suppliers for 7.62mm NATO belt ammo, so that isn't a real problem.

?, the rate of fire is 1000-1300 rpm and that was if the Kurds were superhuman/morons and liked inksing their barrels.

It appears I misplaced a sexagesimal.  Still under a half hour of ammo isn't all that much, even with it not being all fired in one long burst.

[dead0man]

I was just noting that it's a lot compared to the amount of ammo for the 8000 G36s.  You are correct that it's not difficult to find more ammo.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Unlike Hillary, they figured out the correct group to arm.

[Tender Branson]

Now if only they would start arming the Ukrainians....

Nah, Merkel and Germany want to play it safe with Putin - who's a Hitler-esque madman. Who knows, the guy might not stop in Kiew and move on to Germany at some point. Just recently he said in an interview that he could take Kiew within a few hours if he wanted ...

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Now if only they would start arming the Ukrainians....

Nah, Merkel and Germany want to play it safe with Putin - who's a Hitler-esque madman. Who knows, the guy might not stop in Kiew and move on to Germany at some point. Just recently he said in an interview that he could take Kiew within a few hours if he wanted ...

Russia has 4% of the global military spending. NATO has 70%. Enough said.

[Tender Branson]

Now if only they would start arming the Ukrainians....

Nah, Merkel and Germany want to play it safe with Putin - who's a Hitler-esque madman. Who knows, the guy might not stop in Kiew and move on to Germany at some point. Just recently he said in an interview that he could take Kiew within a few hours if he wanted ...

Russia has 4% of the global military spending. NATO has 70%. Enough said.

Nice figures ... on paper.

You should never mess with Russians, because they are amongst the most brutal fighters known out there.

Russia could move easily towards Berlin, without NATO not even knowing what hit them, if they want.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Now if only they would start arming the Ukrainians....

Nah, Merkel and Germany want to play it safe with Putin - who's a Hitler-esque madman. Who knows, the guy might not stop in Kiew and move on to Germany at some point. Just recently he said in an interview that he could take Kiew within a few hours if he wanted ...

Russia has 4% of the global military spending. NATO has 70%. Enough said.

Nice figures ... on paper.

You should never mess with Russians, because they are amongst the most brutal fighters known out there.

Russia could move easily towards Berlin, without NATO not even knowing what hit them, if they want.

LOL, not a chance of that. This isn't 1948.

[dead0man]

Now if only they would start arming the Ukrainians....

Nah, Merkel and Germany want to play it safe with Putin - who's a Hitler-esque madman. Who knows, the guy might not stop in Kiew and move on to Germany at some point. Just recently he said in an interview that he could take Kiew within a few hours if he wanted ...

Russia has 4% of the global military spending. NATO has 70%. Enough said.

Nice figures ... on paper.

You should never mess with Russians, because they are amongst the most brutal fighters known out there.

Russia could move easily towards Berlin, without NATO not even knowing what hit them, if they want.

hyperbole much?

[Cory]

Nice figures ... on paper.

You should never mess with Russians, because they are amongst the most brutal fighters known out there.

Russia could move easily towards Berlin, without NATO not even knowing what hit them, if they want.

Yeah..... no.

[Person Man]

Nice figures ... on paper.

You should never mess with Russians, because they are amongst the most brutal fighters known out there.

Russia could move easily towards Berlin, without NATO not even knowing what hit them, if they want.

Yeah..... no.

Finally give us a proper excuse to deal with Russian power once and for all.

[swl]

Nice figures ... on paper.

You should never mess with Russians, because they are amongst the most brutal fighters known out there.

Russia could move easily towards Berlin, without NATO not even knowing what hit them, if they want.

Yeah..... no.

Finally give us a proper excuse to deal with Russian power once and for all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82PWQqiEB6g

[politicus]

The German government has decided to deliver weapons and munitions worth a total of 70 million euros ($91 million) to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. DW provides an overview of the weapons systems in question.

Total weapons, munitions, and vehicles:

10,000 hand grenades
  8,000 G3 assault rifles; 2 million rounds of ammunition
  8,000 G36 assault rifles; 4 million rounds of ammunition
  8,000 P1 pistols; 1 million rounds of ammunition
     200 shoulder-fired Panzerfaust 3 rocket launchers; 2,500 rockets    
     100 flare guns; 4,000 rounds
       40 MG3 heavy machine guns; 1 million rounds of ammunition
       40 heavy rocket lauchers; 1,000 rockets
       40 WOLF jeeps
       40 UNIMOG trucks
       30 MILAN anti-tank weapons; 500 guided rockets
       20 lightly armored WOLF jeeps
         5 DINGO-1 armored vehicles
         1 tanker truck

The weapons will be delivered in three tranches to a secure region of Iraq that has not been affected by the civil war, according to the German Defense Ministry. An initial partial delivery will leave Germany in the next two weeks and arrive in Irbil via Baghdad. The entire first delivery to northern Iraq will be completed by the end of September. The second and third deliveries will depend on the situation on the ground.

http://www.dw.de/german-weapons-deliveries-to-iraqs-kurdish-region/a-17892161

Thumbs up to the German government for doing the right thing. Hopefully more countries will follow.