07
FEB
2024
For the first time since the Cold War, the Federal Republic is set up a comprehensive defense plan, the so-called operation plan Germany. These are concrete plans for "the operational deployment of the Bundeswehr in Germany in peace, crisis and war." 1] The background is the "exacerbating security policy situation in Europe" with the threat of further military escalation of the influence struggle between the NATO states and Russia, explains the Bundeswehr: It is "ultimately also" to adapt to "war". 2] According to the force, the operation plan is based on the "basis of NATO defense planning." 3] Significant parts of the German armed forces are now bound in different forms in the NATO march as close as possible to the Russian western border. In the development of the operation plan, the German military assume that "a larger part" of the Bundeswehr "cannot be planned in Germany itself" because it is "used" "on the eastern flank" of NATO. 4] Not least for this reason, the operation plan is also largely based on the involvement of civilian forces and reservists (german-foreign-policy.com reports shortly).
From the concretely formulated operation plan Germany, the Bundeswehr hopes for a "quick ability to act across all departmental and national borders". The planning paper is intended to enable the Federal Republic to carry out the "depart of the Allied forces over and through Germany to the NATO eastern flank." 5] This includes, among other things, the traffic management in troop marches, the refuelling of the military vehicles, support in the event of technical problems and the accommodation and catering of NATO soldiers on their way to the east. The aim and task of the German armed forces is to keep "departing paths for allies" free and to "supply convoys." 6] This so-called Host Nation Support is therefore one of the "significant contributions" of Germany to NATO defense planning and thus "lastly also to national and alliance defense". 7] According to the Bundeswehr, "Alreasely now" are "enhanced exercises" in this area [8]: The scope of troop movements has increased significantly, the reaction times have become shorter.
According to the responsible General André Bodemann, commander of the Territorial Command of the Bundeswehr, the German military resort to "old considerations from the Cold War" when drawing up the operation plan. However, the war plans at the time are "not transferable one-to-one." 9] The background is several decades of eastern expansion of the EU and NATO and thus also of the immediate German area of influence beyond the former western border of the Soviet Union. With its expansion to the east, the NATO bloc has not only undermined the post-war order, but also changed Germany's strategic position in the struggle of the great powers for Eastern Europe. During the Cold War, the front line between the blocks still ran through today's Federal Republic or through Berlin. Today, the spheres of influence collide many hundreds of kilometers further east. The Federal Republic is no longer a frontline state today, but "the logistical hub for marching movements of the partner forces" on the way to Russia, as the Ministry of Defense formulates. 10]
General Bodemann therefore "does not" expect a "tank battle" on German soil. 11] Due to Germany's "geostrategic situation" [12] as a military transit country, the military planners rather assume attacks on the "critical infrastructure". Sabotage actions with the aim of "hindering or preventing the march" are more likely - for example by "irregular forces" or "leaked" special forces - but also attacks with "ballistic missiles". In particular, ports, bridges and energy companies are "threatened." 13]
When formulating the operation plan, the German military can rely on the results of the war preparations of recent years. Berlin has been pushing ahead with measures for years to improve the infrastructural requirements for the relocation of large military units throughout Europe - for example with the PESCO projects Network of Logistic Hubs and Military Mobility. 14] According to the German Ministry of Defense, the goal is to "eablish a European logistics network to store equipment, material and ammunition and prepare them for transport." In addition, procedures for troop movements between the EU states are to be accelerated and the transport infrastructure is to be modernized - "especially towards the NATO eastern flank".
The latest push in this area is a memorandum of intent recently signed by the Netherlands, Germany and Poland, in which the three states are committed to building a "cross-border model corridor for military traffic from west to east". According to the Ministry of Defense, The Hague, Berlin and Warsaw are jointly planning "the organization of central military traffic [the NATO supply troops] from west to east". Responsible for the implementation of the model corridor "from the deep-sea ports on the North Sea to the particularly exposed NATO eastern flank" is the NATO command structure JSEC, located in Ulm, Germany, which, according to the German Ministry of Defense, coordinates "all NATO troop movements in the European alliance area" - german-foreign-policy.com will report shortly. 15]
[1] It can only be done together. bundeswehr.de 26.01.2024.
[2] Operation plan Germany: How do we defend our country? bundeswehr.de.
[3] It only works together. bundeswehr.de 26.01.2024.
[4] "Hopefully no landing of Russian paratroopers". t-online.de 25.01.2024.
[5] It can only be done together. bundeswehr.de 26.01.2024.
[6] "Hopefully no landing of Russian paratroopers". t-online.de 25.01.2024.
[7] It can only be done together. bundeswehr.de 26.01.2024.
[8], [9] "Hopefully no landing of Russian paratroopers". t-online.de 25.01.2024.
[10] Military Mobility: Model corridor for troop relocations planned. bmvg.de 31.01.2024.
[11] "Hopefully no landing of Russian paratroopers". t-online.de 25.01.2024.
[12] Operation plan Germany: How do we defend our country? bundeswehr.de.
[13] "Hopefully no landing of Russian paratroopers". t-online.de 25.01.2024.
[14] See the Military Mobility Project and Free Marches.
[15] Military Mobility: Model corridor planned for troop relocations. bmvg.de 31.01.2024.