The German military appears to have found it necessary to implement a major reform of Bundeswehr strategy to account for the threat of a Russian invasion. This was stated by the inspector general of the German army, Eberhard Zorn, in a document called “Operating manual for the armed forces”.
“Germany could be attacked without warning and this would cause serious, if not critical, damage,” warns Zorn.
According to him, the strategy of the previous 30 years, which emphasized overseas operations, no longer fits the current situation.
Instead, the Bundeswehr should focus on reliable deterrence of a potential enemy and “be ready for war”.
“War in Europe has become a reality again,” Zorn said. Instead of mobile special forces, he recommends focusing on large formations of troops ready to deploy and conduct combat, rather than waiting for US support.
Neither the EU nor NATO can afford to “start planning and building forces only after being attacked,” Zorn said, quoted by Spiegel. According to the plan, by 2024 the Bundeswehr will form at least one fully equipped and ready-to-use division of 10,000 men.
In May, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the creation of the largest European army within NATO.
According to him, this is how Berlin will strengthen the security of Germany and its allies. The German authorities will allocate 100 billion euros for the modernization of the armed forces.
