It emerged last month that the German military was also using ordinary Mercedes vans as stand-ins for armoured personnel carriers during training because of equipment shortages.
"It was not a fighting vehicle. So we have no explanation why the soldiers would simulate a weapon."
Soldiers resorted to painting broomsticks black and attaching them to Boxer armoured vehicles to simulate gun barrels.
German soldiers used broomsticks painted black instead of guns during a joint Nato exercise last year due to severe equipment shortages, it has emerged.