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Defense Ministry warns of new threats from Russia and China
The Chinese army during military training in early January.
Source: AFP
The federal government is responsible for the new military capabilities of China and Russia. Russia is pursuing “destabilization and weakening of NATO as a maxim of action,” according to an internal planning document from the Defense Ministry.
DThe Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) warns of a growing threat from the claim to power and new military capabilities of China and Russia. Beijing’s goal is to “ensure economic development and shape the international order in accordance with its own interests,” according to an internal BMVg planning document that is available to WELT AM SONNTAG.
Russia pursues the “destabilization and weakening of NATO as a maxim of action.” A conclusion from the ministry: “China is increasingly outstripping Russia in terms of global influence, including when it comes to arms sales and military cooperation.”
China not only has two million soldiers, about 6,850 battle tanks and 1,600 fighter jets, but also the “world’s largest conventional missile potential,” including extremely dangerous hypersonic missiles with a long range of up to 2,500 kilometers. Furthermore, Beijing is systematically expanding its nuclear capabilities.
Furthermore: “China’s armed forces already have a large portfolio of armed drones. At least six systems with ‘standby times’, that is, ranges of up to 30 hours, are ready for use, ”says the internal report by German military experts. China is now also the “world’s largest exporter of armed drones.”
Beijing is also increasingly active in space and “already has a broad portfolio of space reconnaissance and effective capabilities.” China could also take effective action against other states in space and successfully carry out space operations. The BMVg sees as weaknesses the lack of professionalism of the Armed Forces and the coordination between maritime and air units.
According to Berlin, the Silk Road project serves China as a “global expansion of its own sphere of influence” and is primarily aimed at enforcing foreign and security policy interests.
“Hypersonic missiles hardly interceptable”
In this context, it is interesting that Bundeswehr experts see another progressive danger to the West: “Digitization is being vigorously promoted and implemented around the world as part of the digital Silk Road to achieve global digital influence and dominance. in the long term in the short term. ” and in the medium term to get there “.
The planned deployment of the frigate “Bayern” in the Indo-Pacific in August shows the severity of the Chinese aggression now seen in Berlin. It should be a statement that Berlin, like Washington, does not want to allow a blockade of international shipping routes through China, which would be of the utmost importance to an exporting nation like Germany.
With regard to Russia, the BMVg is particularly concerned about “the introduction of hypersonic agents (hypersonic missiles) of high precision, long range and difficult to intercept.” Furthermore, significant investments would be made in “maintaining the sea-based second nuclear strike capability” and in “priority modernization of nuclear weapons potential”. Moscow already has around 6,375 nuclear warheads.
The 840,000 soldiers are well trained and can be quickly relocated: “The conventional Russian armed forces can achieve superiority in terms of time and space,” write the military experts. However, a weakness of Moscow currently is “limited capabilities for sustainable maritime use around the world” and the lack of armed drones.
“Political instrument of power”
For Russia, the army is an “instrument of action and political power.” The document goes on to say: “The greatest possible profit is generated with a comparatively small expense.”
This is also confirmed by new figures from the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. According to this, China and Russia only spend a third of the money on defense as the United States.
