The new military strategy of the German armed forces, presented to the public April 22 as an ostensibly long-overdue response to a “paradigm change,” is a paradigm change itself. Whereas the full text of the strategy remains secret, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in a statement on April 22, lifted the veil from the document, stressing the assessment that Russia poses an acute threat to Germany: “Through its rearmament, it is preparing for a military confrontation with NATO and views the use of military force as a legitimate instrument for asserting its interests.” Russia is creating the conditions for a military attack on NATO, already conducting hybrid operations, Pistorius charges, the only consequent reaction to that being the substantial re-armament that Germany is undergoing now. “We are developing the Bundeswehr into the strongest conventional army in Europe. In the short term, we are increasing our defense and endurance capabilities; in the medium term, we are aiming for a significant, comprehensive increase in capabilities; and in the long term, we will establish technological superiority.”
Germany needs at least 460,000 soldiers to counter Russian aggression alongside allies, the document states, planning a substantial upgrade of the military reserve, regarding it as an integral part of the armed forces, and is thus intended to contribute to increasing the Bundeswehr’s operational readiness. Even non-active units will be fully equipped for this purpose, according to the document. Pistorius commented: “We are rethinking the reserve. In the future, the reserve will not merely provide temporary support to active-duty forces when necessary. No, we explicitly view the new reserve as being on equal footing with active-duty forces.” This has consequences for the size of military equipment—mass production of battle tanks and artillery, airforce and air defense, drones, navy, AI to create a “transparent battlefield” to provide the German armed forces to gain information superiority and deny it to the enemy. Offensive and defensive capabilities must be expanded to this end, particularly in space as well as in cyberspace and the information domain.
As for the battlefield, long-range weapons amplify the threat to the enemy, no longer allowing any safe areas of retreat. The Bundeswehr itself is to be equipped with more long-range precision weapons. A capable and sustained air defense system covering all ranges is also crucial, the document states.
