NATO General Ingo Gerhartz today called on Germany to make additional efforts to deter possible future attacks, DPA reported, BTA reported.
“The main challenge is deterrence – deterrence today and deterrence against all oppression“, the German general said during a two-day conference in Berlin focused on strengthening European defense.
A major reform of public procurement, rapid implementation of Germany's new military service law and increased public defense preparedness are needed to successfully counter and prevent threats and increasing hybrid attacks, Gen. Gerhartz at the start of the Berlin Security Conference.
“To transform pure investment into deterrence, institutions must change, processes must adapt and, most importantly, our entire society must get involved“, he said. The general regretted the months-long debate on whether and how to introduce military service in Germany, which was only decided at the political level last week.
According to him, Russia understands that the procurement process in Germany sometimes takes years and that industry has problems increasing its production of weapons.
“This shows that Germany as a whole has not reached the strategic maturity required by our times“, believes Gen. Gerhartz, who heads NATO's Joint Force Command in Brunssum.
There is also a need to discuss how deterrence should work in the future in the so-called "gray zone" of hybrid attacks that do not fall under the defense obligations of other NATO allies under Article 5 of the organization's charter. "We need to rethink our approach to deterrence," said Gen. Gerhartz.
Politicians, military representatives and defense experts are meeting in the German capital for the conference, which will feature more than 140 speakers. Participants aim to explore responses to a range of threats facing NATO and the European Union, including measures to increase weapons production and introduce new technologies. The forum is being attended by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Swedish Defense Minister Pál Jónsson.