In its current state, the Bundeswehr is not in a position to defend itself or its NATO allies, warns the Bundeswehr's inspector general, Carsten Breuer (59).
"We are now seeing a Bundeswehr that is not yet adequately equipped for this," Breuer told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. The troops suffer from "structures that make it almost impossible to take quick and targeted decisions".
For years, the Bundeswehr had focused on international crisis management ("the Balkans, Afghanistan or Mali"), Breuer said: "This is now coming back to haunt us, as alliance and national defence are once again at the forefront".
In view of the massive rearmament of the Russian army under Vladimir Putin, Breuer warns that not only the Bundeswehr but society as a whole must work to become fit for war again: "We have to get used to the idea that one day we might have to fight a defensive war and no longer have the choice of whether we want to take part in a mission far away."
Not only officers and soldiers, but "society as a whole must recognise the need for even more consistent deterrence," said the Inspector General, who has been in office since mid-March.
In order to remain defensible, troops must also adapt to "technological leaps", Breuer added, such as the use of drones: "We see the growing importance of drones in all areas, from reconnaissance to action. We are learning from Ukraine that their defence is enormously important, and therefore air superiority at this level too".
Against the backdrop of a possible second Donald Trump presidency and his critical stance on NATO, Breuer said: "The time when we in Europe could say that we would sit back and let the Americans do their thing is over. We Europeans have to see how we can stand up for each other as a group".
He would like to see "more awareness of the fact that the ideal world that some people would like to believe in no longer exists. I want harmony for Germany, but also a sharp eye for what could destroy it.
