Status: 01/01/2023 4:10 p.m
Germany has taken command of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force. The units involved can be deployed particularly quickly. The Panzergrenadiers had to do without the modern “Puma” for the time being.
With the turn of the year, Germany has become the leading nation in NATO’s rapid reaction force. The Bundeswehr is thus providing around 8,000 men and women of the approximately 11,500 soldiers in the military alliance’s “spearhead”. Other forces come from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Slovenia.
A special feature is the high degree of readiness of the units involved. The fastest forces have to be ready in 48 to 72 hours to be transferred to the respective location. For the servicewomen and men, this means, for example, that they are not allowed to stray far from their place of duty during standby times. This year, this applies to Panzergrenadierbrigade 37 “Freistaat Sachsen”, the leading unit of the VJTF (Very High Readiness Joint Task Force). Of the approximately 5,000 soldiers in the brigade, around 4,000 will be on NATO duty.
Panzergrenadiers without “Puma”
The change in leadership is overshadowed by problems with the Bundeswehr infantry fighting vehicle “Puma”. After the total failure of an exercise, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) decided not to provide the German soldiers with the modern “Puma” but with the old “Marder” as a combat vehicle. This is not militarily decisive, but politically it is embarrassing.
According to the manufacturer consortium, the “cougars” that failed during the exercise should be repaired in a few weeks. The manufacturer Rheinmetall had suggested in December to have the industry as “part of the association” continuously on site to support the VJTF. However, it is still unclear whether the Ministry of Defense will approve the deployment of the “Pumas” with a delay.
Stoltenberg praises the Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr is getting gentle backing from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “I am absolutely confident that Germany will be an excellent leading nation for the VJTF,” he told the dpa news agency. He knows that the Bundeswehr has well-trained and well-equipped soldiers who can do the job very well.
Regarding the lack of equipment in the Bundeswehr, Stoltenberg said: “Certainly there are gaps and deficits.” That’s why he also welcomes the German commitment to make an extra 100 billion euros available and to further increase defense spending. In this way, the gaps and deficits could be closed.
The VJTF was set up in 2014 as part of the first major Ukraine crisis and is part of the deterrence strategy against Russia. In turn, it is part of the NRF (NATO Response Force) crisis response force, whose total strength was last reported at around 40,000 soldiers. In addition to land forces, it also includes air and sea forces and special forces.