Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung gave the belligerent Inspector of the German Army Lt.Gen. Christian Freuding on Nov. 20 a platform to present his visions for the German Armed Forces and upcoming tasks in detail. The interview came under the headline: “We Are Ready for the Fight Tonight.” However: the interview showed that Germany is not ready tonight.
Stressing the need to “further increase the operational readiness of the army on the path to combat readiness,” Freuding called for speed: “Every day counts, and we have little time. The enemy will not wait for our readiness report.”
Asked how many Bundeswehr brigades would be “ready for high-intensity combat today,” he said: “Of course we are ready for ‘Fight tonight,’ i.e., immediate combat. But we are also well aware that we still have deficits throughout the army, in terms of personnel and equipment.... We need the ability throughout the army not only to survive in combat, but also to prevail and win. We still have a long way to go.”
