German army to get unified operational command

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius presented a structural reform of the armed forces on Thursday in Berlin.

Speaking at a livestreamed press conference, Pistorius said the Bundeswehr's defense capabilities will be strengthened with a unified operational command.

In addition, the Bundeswehr will be reorganized along four branches with a joint support command.

"Our common goal is to restructure the Bundeswehr in such a way that it is optimally positioned even in the event of an emergency, in the event of defense, in the event of war," said Pistorius.

In addition to the army, navy and air force, there will be a new Cyber and Information Space (CIR) force.

Established as an independent military organizational unit in 2017, the CIR specializes in electronic warfare and cyber operations, reconnaissance and the protection of electronic infrastructure.

The four branches of the armed forces are to be supported by a support command, for example for medical supplies and logistics.

"The threat situation in Europe has intensified. It must be clear to everyone: We are defending our country and our alliance partners and are making it clear -- again with this step -- that no one should get the idea of attacking us as a NATO territory," said Pistorius.

Until now, the command structure of the Bundeswehr has been divided between an Operations Command in Schwielowsee near Potsdam for the planning and control of foreign missions and a Territorial Command for national defense in Berlin.

This dual structure will now be merged.

Pistorius described his plans as a "Bundeswehr of the new era."

He said the most important decisions of the structural reform are to be implemented "in the next few months."

He is also examining whether Germany could reintroduce compulsory military service, which it suspended in 2011.

"We have considered the possibility of reintroducing compulsory military service," said Pistorius, who intends to base it on models from Scandinavian countries.

In Sweden, for example, compulsory military service now applies to both men and women, and conscripts are expected to serve a period of nine to 12 months.

However, young people are recruited primarily on the basis of their willingness to serve the country. This means that recruitment is de facto voluntary.

Germany has set itself the goal of recruiting 203,000 soldiers by 2031.

However, according to the Bundeswehr, the total number of military personnel had fallen to 183,050 by the end of 2022 from 183,725 in 2021.