Germany needs to accelerate the expansion of its armed forces in response to the Russian threat, the army's chief said, calling for a rapid increase in military capabilities.
"We need to switch to a different mode. We urgently need to increase capacities," Army Inspector Lieutenant General Christian Freuding told a partner of the RND media group in remarks published on Wednesday.
Germany must be able to prevent a potential attack by demonstrating credible military strength as early as possible, Freuding said, adding that the country therefore needed to move at "maximum speed."
"The enemy is not waiting for us to announce that we are ready," he said. The sooner the war in Ukraine ends, "as we all hope," the sooner Russian forces would be capable of launching an attack, he added.
Restructuring the Bundeswehr should involve not only technological innovation but also further training for personnel, Freuding said. He wanted the restructuring to increase the armed forces' combat effectiveness and operational capabilities.
The military already offers basic drone-operation training, for example, he said, adding that every soldier should learn how to operate drones and be able to use them.