German society must prepare for defense, taking into account the changing nature of modern threats.
This was stated at a defense conference in Prague by the Bundeswehr Inspector General Carsten Breuer, quoted by "Bild".
The top military official noted the need for the participation of civil society and industry in ensuring defense. According to him, hybrid threats cannot be repelled by the army alone, and in the event of a conflict, expanding defense capabilities will require cooperation with industry.
"Without you, we soldiers, are doomed to failure. But failure is not an option. Because failure would mean that our societies, as we know them, would be under mortal threat. We are all in the same boat," Breuer said.
According to the general, Germany must also take into account the rapid development of technology. He noted that defense strategies must be constantly reviewed due to the high pace of technological change.
"The strategy begins to become obsolete the moment it is signed," said Breuer. According to him, in the event of a conflict, Germany will not be able to rely entirely on existing approaches and must take into account the experience of Ukraine.
Separately, Breuer called for technology not to be seen as an independent basis for defense policy. "Technology should not determine what we do. We should determine what we do with the help of technology," he said.