Germany outlines national military strategy to counter Russian threat

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday presented a new national military strategy, as Berlin responds to the rising threat from Moscow.

The Bundeswehr, Germany’s military, is undergoing a programme of rearmament in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while the country reintroduced voluntary military service in January in an effort to boost troop numbers.

Pistorius’s defence plan includes Germany’s first military strategy and an analysis of the Bundeswehr’s capabilities, setting out the organization, structure and size of the armed forces.

While details are classified, Pistorius said the plans include “developing the Bundeswehr into the strongest conventional army in Europe.”

The Defence Ministry in Berlin regards Russia as the main threat facing Germany.

“With its rearmament, it is preparing for a military confrontation with NATO and sees the use of military force as a legitimate instrument for asserting its interests,” Pistorius said.

NATO is aiming to boost its forces to 460,000 soldiers to counter Russian aggression.

Berlin’s strategy sets out the importance of long-range precision weapons and air defence systems, but also the development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and robotics.

“In the short term, we are increasing our defence and endurance capabilities; in the medium term, we are aiming for a significant, comprehensive increase in capabilities; and in the long term, we will establish technological superiority,” Pistorius explained.