The Bundeswehr could provide about 2500 soldiers in a possible Syria mission. According to the SPIEGEL, the military planners in the Ministry of Defense have meanwhile roughly raided their department chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer what they could offer the European partners, should their proposal for an international protection zone in northern Syria be implemented.
The military is assuming a scenario that would divide such a zone into sectors about 40 kilometers wide and 30 kilometers deep. In one of these sectors, the Germans, as a so-called framework nation, could take over the leadership of an international force and set up three robust combat battalions for themselves.
The military planners talk about the "complete package" that they would then provide: reconnaissance planes, special forces, "boxer" armored vehicles, heavy armament, howitzer, pioneers, deminers. Also, the air support for their own troops dared to the Bundeswehr, both the reconnaissance with Tornado fighter aircraft and an armed component with Eurofighters. In two areas, however, one would probably depend on help: in helicopters and medical supplies.
So far, the Bundeswehr has usually been drawn into an operation indefinitely. For the Syria scenario, the Bundeswehr planners propose to follow the example of the Dutch and limit the deployment to two years from the outset. After that, other nations would have to run. But as long as the German Armed Forces can withstand a commitment without neglecting their previous obligations, the Ministry of Defense said.
This topic comes from the new SPIEGEL magazine - available at the kiosk from Saturday morning and every Friday at SPIEGEL + and in the digital magazine edition.
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