On May 16, the German Bundestag will discuss the establishment of a drone army for the first time. The CDU/CSU parliamentary group has announced a corresponding motion. It is still unclear whether the bill will be referred to the committees for further discussion or voted on directly after the 45-minute debate.
In their arguments, the applicants refer to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, which has now lasted more than two years (-> current news from the war in Ukraine). This has resulted in “massive changes in warfare, both offensive and defensive”. “In particular, drones of different sizes and a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and drones are playing an increasingly important role.” https://militaeraktuell.at/neues-heeressportzentrum-in-niederoesterreich-eroeffnet/ According to the applicants, however, the German government has so far only reacted inadequately to these changes in modern warfare. The mandate issued by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on February 27, 2022to identify and develop capabilities to counter the Russian threat now and in the future has “not been implemented to any extent by the Federal Government” in the area of military drones and their defense.
The applicants also believe that the German government’s plans to date, such as the procurement of 21 Euro drones by 2032, are inadequate given the current situation in Ukraine. Germany’s helplessness in the defense against drones must be “remedied as quickly as possible”.
The aim must therefore be to “build a drone army and develop capabilities to combat drones and protect against drones”. This is about a “war-capable Bundeswehr and the protection of civilian and military critical infrastructure against sabotage and terrorist attacks”.
Here for further reports on the Bundeswehr.
