Germany outlines interventionist posture

UPI ^ | 1-18-04

[Indy Pendance]

BERLIN, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- In a major change in military posture, Germany has outlined a plan for a force capable of interventions anywhere in the world, Time magazine reported.

Germany's Defense Minister Peter Struck has announced a shift from territorial defense to overseas peacekeeping, the magazine reported in its latest edition. Germany is also announcing massive cuts in high-tech weapons development.

The armed forces will be divided into three groups, a force of 35,000 "intervention" troops, 70,000 "stabilizing" troops and 137,500 support troops.

Struck declared that the possible area of deployment for the Bundeswehr is the "whole world," aimed at preventing conflicts, coping conflicts and fighting international terrorism.

Cuts in the German military budget will finance the transition to a more mobile army, Struck said.

He said such a force would be better able to serve NATO and the new EU 60,000 troop rapid reaction force.

[Beck_isright]

That's reassuring...

[CasearianDaoist]

new EU 60,000 troop rapid reaction force

Huh? I thought that was cancelled.

[glockmeister40]

the new EU 60,000 troop rapid reaction force?

If it has frenchmen in it it will probably be the rapid surrender force

Or dutchmen - in that case it will probably be the tepid reaction force.

[11B3]

At least the French won't have to find so many valets to park the tanks for the Germans this time.

One question: Just exactly HOW is it that this new force will transport itself "anywhere in the world"????? Commercial airliners, or will they take the train?

[Prodigal Son]

Why post that crap here?

[janette]

Are you sure you know what you want to say..........??????

[CasearianDaoist]

Airbus is building the A400, a military transport that no one in the EU really needs. France twisted the Kruaut's arm into buy 60 or 70 of them. My guess is that justifying this is at least part of what this change in doctrine. The A400, which is a 4 engine propeller lifted transport that fills a niche between the C130 and the C17, costs over a $100,000.00 a pop last time I looked. They will never fly one into a hot zone. It is a pretty comical deal as the only takers in the world are EU nations that had to be coerced by France, but any subsidy to have airbus build bigger planes than Boeing.

This will in effect destroy the German army as the overhead and infrastructure for this sort of force cannot be pulled out of these budgets. It is becoming another toy army now. The USMC by itself could take them on now.

[lchoro]

Sounds like France and Germany are pushing this EU defense force so they can cut their own military. Get the Czechs, Poles, Hungarians, etc. to fight for them.

[Paleo Conservative]

[Paleo Conservative]

I'll try a different one.

[Paleo Conservative]

[Beck_isright]

You really want a socialist (instead of National Socialist) Germany to become interventionist again? Wonderful. History is correct. The blind never learn.

[Prodigal Son]

What has modern Germany to do with that flag? Are you trying to tell me that Germany is a Nazi nation?

Furthermore, Germany is damned if they do, damned if they don't here at FR. If they don't intervene in Iraq- they're our enemies. If they do intervene in Afghanistan, it's forgotten. If they want to modernize their military, their the next Reich.

I am not blind. I am certainly not blind to the narrow-mindedness many here display towards Germany.