Training for Combat?

Germany is expected to decide soon on a NATO request to send reconnaissance aircraft to southern Afghanistan. But, according to a news report, German pilots may be preparing for more than that.

On Wednesday, Germany's cabinet will most likely give the green light to deploying six Tornado surveillance planes to help alliance forces in the dangerous southern regions of Afghanistan.

Germany's Bundestag, which has to give final approval, is mulling the plan next week. So far, the Bundeswehr's current mandate limits the deployment of some 3,000 German soldiers to the Afghan capital Kabul and the relatively safer northern part of the country.

But according to a news report by German public broadcaster ARD, the mission might go beyond mere reconnaissance: Bundeswehr pilots are currently testing technology that would allow them to participate directly in combat missions.

Combat support or combat?

The "Reccelite" technology allows pilots to transfer images to a ground station or fighter planes in real time. This allows so-called "close-air-support" operations, which make it possible to identify and bombard moving targets in a quick and precise way.

The ARD report quoted pilots, who said that they had received orders from "the highest position" to acquire the skills for such missions "very quickly."

They added that it would really only make sense for German pilots to bombard targets themselves as they do not have the ability to transfer information wirelessly to fighter planes or ground stations in a secure way.

Defense ministry officials said that the "Reccelite" tests had been planned for some time and that no plans so far existed to buy the technology for a potential Tornado mission in Afghanistan.

Opposition, SPD concerns

Opposition politicians on the other hand saw the training as further evidence that the planes were meant to be used in combat missions.

Members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the government's junior coalition partner, meanwhile also voiced concerns about deploying planes.

"We have to do everything to prevent being pulled into an escalating combat situation," said Gert Weisskirchen, the SPD's foreign affairs spokesman in parliament.

But SPD defense policy expert Hans-Peter Bartels countered that Germany was already involved in combat operations in Afghanistan.

"It would be hypocritical to say that we Germans have nothing to do with conducting war in Afghanistan," he said.

SPD leader Kurt Beck said he expected Germany to approve the request to send Tornado planes.

"Germany has to live up to the task," he said.