The inspector of the army, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, has in an interview with the FAZ the three central priorities for the future equipment of the Bundeswehr’s land forces: Digitalization, air defence and offensive weapons.
“The army that I am allowed to lead is more or less bare,” Mais said in the interview – a statement that caused a stir across Germany.
Turning point – not only politically
In his 41st year of service, Mais said he never thought he would have to experience another war in Europe. But with the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 (-> Current news from the war in Ukraine), everything has changed. The result: a 100 billion euro special fund for the Bundeswehrwhich, however, has now been completely used up, and the debt brake has also been relaxed in favor of defense spending.
“The special fund has primarily closed existing gaps. Now it’s all about modernization, digitalization and the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine,” says Mais.
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Top 1: Digitization
According to Mais, the digital transformation of the land forces has priority over all other procurements. The aim must be to significantly improve command and control capabilities in combat situations – through modern radios, highly mobile command posts and robust communication networks.
The focus is on systems that remain operational even under electronic interference.
Top 2: Air defense
From protection against drones to defense against ballistic missiles – the demand is great. Proven systems such as the US Patriot system or the German Iris-T SLM from Diehl Defense play a central role in this, according to Mais.
- Patriot: Engages up to five targets simultaneously at a distance of up to 70 kilometers.
- Iris-T: Range of 40 kilometers, high hit rate – tried and tested in Ukraine.
- Arrow II: Part of the upper interceptor layer, destroys missiles at an altitude of over 100 kilometers.
- Skyranger 30: Future mobile unit based on the Boxer – intended as the successor to the Gepard.
Top 3: Offensive weapons
In addition to defense, offensive capabilities are also to be significantly strengthened in the future. Mais emphasizes the need to be able to achieve an effect “in depth” – through long-range artillery and armed drones.
Among other things, the focus is on so-called loitering munitions – better known as kamikaze drones (-> The Bundeswehr wants to procure kamikaze drones). These attack autonomously or by remote control deep in enemy territory and have proven to be an effective tool in the war in Ukraine.
Goal: Strike early, ensure survival
“It’s about taking up the battle much earlier and beyond the direct lines of sight – and thus increasing the survivability of the troops,” Mais summarizes in an interview with the FAZ.
In the short term, ammunition and drone defense are the decisive factors for a credible deterrent – especially on the eastern flank of NATO.
And yet Mais also makes it clear that the Bundeswehr can only close existing capability gaps together with international partners.
Here for further reports on the Bundeswehr.
