Germany is preparing for possible scenarios of a major conflict, while the army chief, General Carsten Breuer, has warned that the country’s defense cannot rely solely on the army and arms purchases.
Speaking at the IISS Defense Summit in Prague, Breuer said preparations must involve the whole of society, from industry and infrastructure to civil institutions and citizens.
He devoted part of his speech to the rapid change in technology and the way warfare is conducted. According to him, Western militaries should learn from the experience of the war in Ukraine, while also taking into account that Russia is also adapting and developing ways to circumvent their advantages.
“Russia learns. They imitate and adapt,” Breuer declared, emphasizing that technological superiority is not permanent.
Germany has significantly changed its defense policy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In its new military strategy, Russia is described as the biggest threat to European security, while Berlin aims to increase the number of active and reservist soldiers and strengthen military capabilities.
Breuer has warned that Russia could create the capabilities for a major conventional attack on NATO territory by 2029. He clarified that this is an assessment of Moscow’s potential military capabilities and not a prediction that an attack will occur.
In the event of a major conflict, Germany plans to serve as a major logistical base for NATO. According to the “Operationsplan Deutschland,” up to 800,000 Allied troops and 200,000 vehicles could be transported through German territory to NATO’s eastern flank within a six-month period.
For this reason, according to the German military, preparations require the cooperation of civilian institutions, private companies and the country’s infrastructure.