Military Revamp

Since shedding much of its World War ii stigma, the German military has undergone major upgrades in the past decade. Recently, Berlin announced more.

Quoting German news sources, a Dec. 17, 2003, www.german-foreign-policy.com report stated, “By ‘means of a directive for the further development of the German Armed Forces,’ the German military shall be in a position, within a few years, to lead extended and ‘robust’ combat missions throughout the world. Thus, after the reorganization, the armed forces will become an instrument of ‘preemptive warfare.’”

German Defense Minister Peter Struck wants to restructure the army to be “more fit for action”—to develop a military “able to attack other states at any time” (ibid.).

Its navy and air force are undergoing serious upgrades. One air force bomber unit “has also been optimized for the deployment of nuclear weapons and also is scheduled into the plans of nato—Berlin’s option for nuclear participation” (ibid.).

Struck announced the separation of the armed forces into three specialized parts—an intervention force, a stabilization force and support personnel—tripling the troop contingent available for deployment abroad.

Current troop deployments are already revealing Germany’s long-term motives. Look at the map: This German military buildup will lead to a time when a German-led Europe will be strong enough to overtake the key piece of real estate for which it has always lusted—the Middle East.