Germany unveils new military strategy to address cyber threats

Germany has announced a major military overhaul with a focus on cyber threats, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The restructuring, announced by Germany’s defence minister, includes the creation of a new central command and a dedicated branch for cyberspace.

The defence minister, Boris Pistorius, emphasized the importance of conveying a credible and truthful message that Germany is not to be attacked as a NATO territory. The Bundeswehr will require an additional 6.5 billion euros in the 2025 budget to meet the necessary funding for the overhaul.

The central command will now combine domestic and foreign deployment commands, providing NATO with a single point of contact. The new cyberspace branch will specifically address hybrid threats like disinformation campaigns.

This restructuring follows Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s commitment to modernize the military and increase defense spending to meet NATO’s target of 2% of GDP. However, there was no announcement regarding the reintroduction of military service in Germany, a topic that has been under debate in light of the conflict in Ukraine.

Pistorius mentioned that a paper outlining various possible models for military service will be presented later this month. The overhaul reflects Germany’s commitment to strengthening its military capabilities and addressing emerging security challenges, particularly in the realm of cyber threats.