Armed and Ready: bold rearmament priorities revealed for the Bundeswehr
Armed Forces Modernization: Priorities Set by the Bundeswehr
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In the face of numerous upcoming challenges for the Bundeswehr, part of defense spending will be exempt from the debt brake, ensuring a more prompt arming of our troops in the future. With these impending hurdles in mind, General Inspector Carsten Breuer has presented a clear-cut priority list for the Bundeswehr, which will receive priority funding after the lifting of debt limits.
Among the critical initiatives on the agenda, we see drones, drone defense, digitization, air defense, deep precision strike, and a multitude of combat support systems high on the list.
At present, Germany does not possess "stand-off weapons," which is why Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to a temporary U.S. deployment from 2026 last summer. However, the plans conjoined with the Biden administration for Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 2500 kilometers and multi-purpose missiles of the Standard Missiles 6 type remain uncertain for the future. In the forthcoming years, Germany intends to develop comparable weapons systems alongside European partners to bridge the existing capability gap.
The soaring demand for armed forces becomes increasingly apparent, with the Germanying Association president sounding the alarm about personnel shortages. The Association calls for a significant recruitment of one million reservists to swiftly address this issue.
General Breuer reaffirmed the prompt readiness of the troops as the prime priority for deterring "serious threats." In addition to the priority systems mentioned earlier, further acquisitions highlighted by Breuer include plenty of ammunition and specialized equipment for the pioneers of the Bundeswehr, thereby bolstering its combat potency by 2029.
Following their preliminary talks, CDU, CSU, and SPD have announced their intentions to present a planning and procurement acceleration law for the Bundeswehr, along with a priority list of quickly procurable arms, within the first half-year after the government's formation.
Industry sources report that active collaboration between the defense industry and the Bundeswehr has already been established, with leaders from Rheinmetall stating that takeovers of facilities from the automotive sector, like Volkswagen in Osnabrück, are potential alternatives if there is adequate planning security for future utilization.
Global Defense Trends
- Cutting-Edge Drones: The Bundeswehr is investing in Helsing's HX-2 disposable strike drones and STARK's OWE-V reusable drones, both equipped with advanced AI capabilities.
- Digital Dominance: The focus on digitization encompasses enhancing command and control systems, data analytics, and communications infrastructure to support modern warfare capabilities.
- Locking Down the Sky: Air defense initiatives aim to thwart threats from both drones and conventional aircraft, with Effector HP47 3/V4 electronic jamming systems providing counter-drone capabilities.
- Deep Precision Strike: Germany is exploring AI-enabled precision-guided munitions and missile systems to reinforce its deep strike capabilities.
- Shielding Our Troops: The Bundeswehr is also prioritizing investments in ammunition, combat support, advanced tools for combat engineers, enhanced protective gear, and AI systems to augment logistics, medical services, and communication networks.
These initiatives seek to modernize and fortify the Bundeswehr, enabling it to thrive in diverse warfare scenarios, be it conventional or asymmetric.
- The Community policy and the Employment policy are expected to receive priority funding, as part of the Bundeswehr's rearmament, following the lifting of debt limits, as announced by the federal government.
- In light of Germany's current lack of "stand-off weapons," the prioritization of deep precision strike systems is significant on the Bundestag's agenda.
- As the employment policy dominates discussions for the Bundeswehr, the Germanying Association has emphasized the necessity to recruit one million reservists to address ongoing personnel shortages.
