Bundeswehr paper leaked: preparation for war on NATO's eastern flank?
"Attack on Germany"
Created: 11/25/2022, 4:50 am
By: Patrick Mayer
The Bundeswehr is definitely planning a change of strategy.
The armed forces should be prepared to defend Germany on NATO's eastern flank.
Initial preparations are underway.
Munich/Berlin - The leaked paper entitled "Operative Guidelines for the Armed Forces" is said to be 68 pages long and allegedly fixes the strategic realignment of the German Bundeswehr against the background of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Germany in the Ukraine war: Bundeswehr should be prepared for a possible war on the eastern flank
Der Spiegel
reports on this
.
According to this, Eberhard Zorn, Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, had already ordered at the end of September that the German army had to prepare itself more effectively for a possible conflict with Russia.
"Attacks on Germany can potentially take place without warning and with great, possibly even existential, damage," four-star General Zorn was quoted as saying.
And further: "Undoubtedly, the ability to defend the country and alliance territory will be vital and even more important than before."
NATO's eastern flank in Lithuania: German and Belgian soldiers during the "Iron Wolf II" exercise.
© Alexander Welscher/dpa
According to the news magazine, Zorn is said to explain in the letter that the “focusing on foreign missions that has lasted for around three decades” such as in Afghanistan, in the Balkans or in African Mali “no longer does justice to the current situation with its surprises that endanger the system”.
Even more: According to
Spiegel
, 62-year-old Zorn calls for Germany to play a pioneering role.
"Deployed, high-intensity scenario-aligned and trained forces are the backbone of this deterrent," the paper said.
According to Zorn, the armed forces must prepare for an "imposed war".
According to
Spiegel
, the possible defense should take place on the eastern flank of the transatlantic defense alliance NATO.
To protect against Vladimir Putin's Russia: NATO sends 40,000 soldiers to the eastern flank
NATO, which secures the aforementioned eastern flank from the Baltic via Poland to the Black Sea with 40,000 soldiers, had already formulated requirements for the Federal Republic.
According to NATO plans, Germany should be able to provide a fully equipped division by 2024.
Attacks on Germany can potentially occur without warning and with great, possibly even existential, damage.
Eberhard Zorn, Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, according to Spiegel
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Divisions usually have a troop strength of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)
and the
Deutsche BundeswehrVerband (DBwV)
had already reported in the past
on plans for a new, third armored division in the Bundeswehr.
Germany in the Ukraine war: on the border with Belarus - the Bundeswehr heads the NATO battle group in Lithuania
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda had agreed in June that the Bundeswehr would lead an international combat troop brigade, which with 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers would serve as an advanced command post in Lithuania for possible military aggression by Russia.
The Panzergrenadierbrigade 41 "Vorpommern" from Neubrandenburg is intended for this task, which will station some of its soldiers in Lithuania, but will have a large part of the weapon systems and manpower ready in Germany.
As a reaction to the Russian annexation of Crimea, the so-called multinational “Battlegroup Lithuania” has existed since 2017 under the command of the German armed forces.
Lieutenant Colonel Marco Maulbecker from Tank Battalion 203 from Augustdorf (NRW) is currently in command of around 1,600 men and women.
The battalion includes soldiers from the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg.
The majority is provided by the German Bundeswehr with currently 1000 to 1200 soldiers.
NATO exercise on the border with Belarus: A German Bundeswehr Leopard tank at the Pabrade military training area.
© Dirk Waem/BELGA/dpa
German Bundeswehr on NATO's eastern flank: Leopard battle tanks in Lithuania, Eurofighter in Estonia
In October, the Bundeswehr took part in the twice-yearly "Iron Wolf II" maneuver at the Pabrade military training area with around 3,500 soldiers from ten NATO countries and a total of around 700 military vehicles.
Pabrade is less than 50 kilometers north-east of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius (population around 430,000) and only about 15 kilometers from the border with Belarus.
The regime in Minsk is considered an ally of Moscow ruler Vladimir Putin and, according to Western sources, should tolerate Russian troops in the country.
In February, because of its NATO obligations, shortly before the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Germany had six Panzerhaubitz 2000 relocated to the base in Rukla, which is around 110 kilometers from the Belarusian border.
Germany had already stationed 20 “Marder” infantry fighting vehicles and six “Leopard 2” main battle tanks in Lithuania in 2017.
Most recently, the light anti-aircraft system "Ozelot" was added.
In addition, five German Eurofighters are now protecting the airspace over the Baltic States on behalf of NATO.
Now the defense of Germany on NATO's eastern flank is apparently also officially the strategy of the Bundeswehr.
(pm)
