: The German government has announced plans to save $240 million from the defense budget, and Chief of Staff General Haral Kujat has listed the procurement programs he regards as high priority which should not be cut: 

@ MIDS (the Multi-Function Information Distribution System): the German equivalent of the US Army Digital system.

@ Air Command & Control System.

@ NATO Improved Link Eleven.

@ The Lupe Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite system.

@ The new Berlin-class support ships for the Navy.

@ Converting four A310 aircraft to multi-role tanker transports.

@ The A400M transport aircraft project.

@ The Multi-Role Armored Vehicle project.

@ Airborne Collision Avoidance System.

@ NATO Identification System Q&A.

@ Mode-S transponders.

@ improved nuclear-biological-chemical protection.

@ Mine Protection.

@ New personal equipment for combat troops.

Opposition members in the Bundestag have dismissed this as a wish list, noting that it doesn't leave enough programs on the chopping block to save the required amount.--Stephen V Cole