German chief of defence orders swift expansion of warfare capabilities
By Sabine Siebold
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's Chief of Defence, Carsten Breuer, has ordered the German military to be fully equipped with weapons and other material by 2029, a document seen by Reuters on Sunday shows.
By 2029, Russia may have reconstituted its forces sufficiently to attack NATO territory, according to estimates by Breuer and other senior military officials at NATO.
The latest document, entitled "Directive Priorities for the Bolstering of Readiness", which Breuer signed on May 19, said Germany will meet the goal with the help of funds made available by the loosening of the country's debt brake in March.
The defence ministry in Berlin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In the directive, Breuer sets priorities for the weapons that should be acquired or developed most urgently, reflecting in part priorities NATO has previously laid out.
Among them, Breuer lists the strengthening of Germany's depleted air defences, in particular with a view to intercepting drones.
Last year, sources told Reuters that NATO will request Berlin to at least quadruple its air defences, ranging from systems with a longer range, such as the Patriot, to short-range systems.
Another priority is a capability to launch deep precision strikes, according to the document, effectively hitting targets at a distance of more than 500 kilometres (310 miles) and far behind enemy lines.
In addition to pushing for Germany's ammunition stocks to be replenished, Breuer also orders Germany to raise its stockpiling targets for all types of ammunition.
Other priorities listed in the document are the swift expansion of Germany's capabilities in electronic warfare and the establishment of a resilient system of "offensive and defensive capabilities" in space.
In a speech in mid-May, Army Chief Alfons Mais said a large-scale social and industrial mobilisation meant Russian forces were rapidly gaining firepower.
"From 2029, at the latest, the Russian forces will be capable of a conventional aggression against NATO territory on a large scale," he said. "But they can start testing us much sooner."
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