Germany has made comprehensive commitments to NATO to support its deterrence and defense strategy. Inspector General Breuer is now dampening expectations: Some Bundeswehr capabilities will only be available in a few years.
According to Inspector General Carsten Breuer, the Bundeswehr will only be able to make some of the capabilities promised to NATO available later than planned. Germany can already provide some things now, but others “only in three or four years,” Breuer told “Welt am Sonntag”.
Breuer did not want to reveal what capabilities were involved: “This is classified military information for good reason. An opponent will draw his findings from all possible sources, including newspapers.” The German armed forces, like NATO as a whole, are in a state of upheaval, emphasized Breuer. “Honesty also includes the sentence: This will rumble a bit again – but in a positive sense.”
Breuer assured that he was in constant contact with the NATO supreme commander in Europe. US General Christopher Cavoli said: “Please tell us what you can do now and when you will be able to do everything. We can deal with this much better than building a cloud cuckoo land.” Such an approach is better “than just depicting any skill on paper,” emphasized Breuer.
Comprehensive commitments for new NATO strategy
Germany wants to keep 35,000 soldiers at a very high level of readiness in the future for NATO’s new deterrence and defense strategy. This includes a fully equipped and operational army division from 2025 and another division from 2027. According to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, there will also be up to 200 aircraft and ships as well as military support capabilities.
Breuer also commented on the ongoing review of the Bundeswehr’s personnel cap, which is currently 203,300 soldiers. Despite new orders for the armed forces, an increase is not necessary, said the Inspector General. There are “technical developments such as unmanned systems with which we can be more effective,” he emphasized. “And we have to combine that with a realistic view of the labor market.” The number of active soldiers in the Bundeswehr is currently 181,500.
“In five years we have to be ready for war”
From the Inspector General’s point of view, the Bundeswehr must be ready for war in five years. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, a possible war was being dictated from outside, he said in the interview. “If I follow the analysts and see what military threat potential Russia poses, then that means five to eight years of preparation for us.”
That doesn’t mean that there will be war – but it is possible.”And because I’m a military man, I say: In five years we have to be ready for war.” In the end, it’s about being able to defend yourself and thereby making the risk so high for an opponent that he decides against an attack.
When presenting new defense policy guidelines, Pistorius also spoke of the need for Germany to become ready for war. Pistorius and Breuer wrote in the document: “We must be the backbone of deterrence and collective defense in Europe. Our people, but also our partners in Europe, North America and the world, expect us to take on this responsibility.”
Lothar Lenz, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, February 5th, 2024 10:28 a.m