Europe has to make more of its own defense. The sentence will be repeated at the Munich Security Meeting on the weekend, but what kind of actions should be followed?
In Germany, the question is critical, as the Bundeswehr of the country is already at the limits of its performance.
About one hundred listeners gather at the so -called Munich American House near the Safety Conference. The top leadership of the German army sits on stage, and their description of the state of Bundeswehr does not give the subject of cheer.
“Our Defense Forces have never been so strong that they could credibly defend German. We absolutely need NATO, ”says the German Army Commander Alfons More.
Bundeswehr is constantly gaining new tasks, which even makes Mai speaks of “task harvesting”.
“Our NATO commitment and domestic expectations for our preparedness have been increasing all the time,” he says.
Confirmation for NATO’s eastern wing
In Germany, military service was abolished in 2011.
There are about the same number of reservists as in Finland, ie 900,000. The figures with more than 84 million inhabitants are relatively small.
However, the Commander of the Army considers the German commitment to be placed in Lithuania, however. In 2023, Germany decided to invest a total of 5,000 soldiers and Bundeswehr employees in Lithuania.
Lieutenant General Mai compares the presence of German soldiers to American soldiers in Western Germany in the Eastern Member State of NATO during the Cold War.
“The partner’s troops in the country help to create a credible fear, and it is now as true as it was 40 years ago,” Mai describes.
Head of Bundeswehr’s General Staff André Bodemann piloting Germany’s action plan in 2023, which has created a new pace for German equipment. However, there is a danger that the armed forces are only equipped with a backward look.
“We run out of time. Already in 2014, the preparedness plans should have been updated in the aftermath of the Crimean invasion. We lost a lot of time, ”Bodemann says.
He is concerned with a situation where Germany would quickly have to respond to a military threat.
Material assignments to Ukraine caused gaps
Bodemann praises the changed atmosphere of Germany in terms of social preparedness and security of supply.
“We get contacts from municipalities and companies asking what kind of tasks they could take on in national defense,” says Bodemann of the General Staff.
In the spring of 2025, so -called homeland security forces will be established in Germany to protect particular critical infrastructure. Reservists and voluntary military service are recruited.
Since 2022, Germany has significantly supported Ukraine in the war against Russia. After the United States, Germany is Ukraine’s second largest supporter.
Extensive materials are still felt in the German warehouse as a notch. In the fall of 2022, German media reported that Germany would have enough ammunition for up to two days in defense.
Although the Bundestag decided, from an additional budget of EUR 100 billion to Bundeswehr, to block the material apertures similar to that, supporting Ukraine has meant that it has been flexible for its own defense.
“We need the right balance to cover the materials retroactively, and at the same time to finance future combat capacity,” says Mai, the Army Commander.
“Military service must be returned”
Lieutenant of General Alfons Maisin In the opinion of all the preparedness plans that extend over three months longer, they also need a credible plan for the movement of the troops.
“There is a need to get a general military service again in Germany. No road leads to this fact. ”
The audience in the hall clap. At least in the Bavarian capital and security policy circles, the idea of deploying military service will be a clear response.
Although the German preparedness level is quite fragile in the comparison of NATO’s Member States, a rather realistic snapshot of the security situation in Europe is conveyed on Saturday’s debate on Saturday’s debate.
Along with the “credible” intimidation, NATO cooperation and lack of trust in Russia are repeated in Bundeswehr’s statements. According to the General Staff Bodemann, Germany must be prepared for the worst.
”[Venäjän presidentti] Putin is an opportunity. If a door is opened somewhere, he passes through it, ”says Mai Mai.
Cyber attacks on earth’s hydropower plants
Bundeswehr’s Cyber and Information Forces Commander Thomas Daum Answer the questions about cyberuk in Munich. According to him, in the last half of the year, his unit has seen more and more attack attempts against critical infrastructure.
On Friday, on the first day of the safety conference, Bundeswehr, for example, found a significant cyber attack on the Munich hydropower plant.
“Are [näiden hyökkäysten osalta] in a new phase. The opponent wants to make citizens worry about their safety, ”says Daum.
The audience nods frequently. The third anniversary of the Ukrainian war is approaching. According to surveys, 67 % of Germans still support Ukraine’s support.
The transferee would look different.
“Europe is living in wartime. Wars are held among the armies and are completed by diplomacy, ”Mai summarizes Mai.