Berlin, 9 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Germany's defence minister said reforms of the country's military bureaucracy will be accelerated as part of an ongoing overhaul aimed at making the force more capable of defending Germany and its allies.

Slow-moving equipment procurement and construction programmes need to be sped up, said Boris Pistorius on Thursday while presenting Germany's new defence guidelines in Berlin.

"We must be the backbone of deterrence and collective defence in Europe. Our own population, as well as our partners in Europe, North America and the world, expect us to face up to this responsibility," Pistorius and Carsten Breuer, the inspector general of Germany's military, wrote in the document outlining the changes.

The guidelines seek to chart a future for Germany's military in light of Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, which raised alarm in defence circles across Europe and raised difficult questions about the readiness of Germany's military.

The last time the German government presented a set of defence policy guidelines was in 2011.

The Bundeswehr "must be ready for war in all areas. This means that its personnel and equipment must be geared towards fulfilling its demanding missions," the document says.

A well-equipped military capable of victory in high-intensity combat at any time "is the only way to ensure credible deterrence and peace," according to the guidelines.

The report identifies Russia as the main long-term threat to peace and security facing Germany and its European allies, although developments in Africa, and the Middle East "could also pose risks to security and are of strategic military importance."

The guidelines call on decision-makers in the German government and the military to make use of leeway to speed purchases of needed equipment and construction.

The slow pace of procurement at the Bundeswehr has been the subject of repeated criticism in recent months. The report argues that officials should use existing exceptions to award contracts faster, and also push for changes to the law.

Long-term funding for the Bundeswehr is also an issue raised in the report. The German government created a €100 billion ($107 billion) special fund after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to modernize the military.

But increased funding even after the special fund is spent remains a prerequisite for a functioning military, the guidelines argue.

Photo: EPA