German defense minister to face grilling over Euro Hawk debacle

A committee in the German Parliament decided on 22 July 2013 to conduct an investigation into the failure of the 600-million-euro Euro Hawk drone project. The Defense Ministry invested 12 years and hundreds of millions of euros in an aircraft that was not even allowed to fly in German airspace due to security concerns. Testimony by Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere could prove politically explosive for Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right coalition government.

• Primary Source

Wikipedia: Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_RQ-4_Global_Hawk

Spiegel Online International, 10.06.13: Conflicting Statements: Drone Troubles Mount for Minister http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-defense-minister-faces-opposition-calls-to-resign-a-904774.html

Deutsche Welle, 31.07.13: Committee probes German ministry's drone debacle http://www.dw.de/committee-probes-german-ministrys-drone-debacle/a-16988142

Deutsche Welle, 01.08.13: Germany's defense minister evades blame http://www.dw.de/germanys-defense-minister-evades-blame/a-16990406

ESO: Background information: Fighter Flaws: Warplane Costs Soar amid Mismanagment http://www.europeansources.info/record/fighter-flaws-warplane-costs-soar-amid-mismanagment/

---