Transformation

Germany's internal and external security - the transformation of NATO, the Bundeswehr and the German defence industry

In response to the events of 9/11, the NATO Alliance comprehensively realigned its policies in order to safeguard the complex internal and external security situations its members face. The decision taken at NATO’s Prague summit in 2002 turned the Alliance into a global player. The partners committed themselves to transforming NATO so that it can combat international terrorism and take up the fight against weapons of mass destruction. Interlocking military resources – “jointness” in the sense of creating an optimal interplay between the navy, army and air force – occupies a central role in this transformation. The transformed force is one characterised by its ability to conduct networked military operations (Network Centric Warfare). This is a force whose military efficacy is marked out by the use of a networked system of background information, weaponry, secure communication networks and real-time reconnaissance.

The Defence Policy Guidelines issued by the German Federal Minister for Defence in May 2003 also call for the introduction of the force capabilities agreed in Prague. No NATO member can avoid undergoing this transformation if it wants to be able to protect its citizens and meet its obligations to the Alliance. In the face of a growing number of multinational engagements, the Bundeswehr’s capability to conduct combined network centric operations is becoming increasingly important.

Transforming the armed forces means the German defence industry has to change as well. This process has already been underway since German Reunification (around 1,000 companies have been reorganised into 200 at present in Germany!). The demands created by the conversion of existing systems to ones with network centric capabilities and the armed forces’ involvement in peacekeeping and conflict prevention, can only be met by a high-performance industry – and which now more than ever, is of fundamental importance in terms of strategy and security policy. The use of state-of-the art German technology must be specifically incorporated into Germany’s political mission statement. Given the threat posed by international terrorism, possessing and developing such technology must be given absolute priority.