The German armed forces should significantly reorient towards unmanned systems and modern technologies. Members of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) are calling for the Bundeswehr to be equipped with more than 100,000 drones of various sizes. The proposal also includes building a military space fleet consisting of over a thousand satellites.
The plan is included in the draft concluding document that a group of 44 CSU members intends to approve in parliament on Tuesday. This is not yet an approved plan by the German government, but rather a political demand from the CSU, which forms part of the governing conservative bloc together with CDU. The document was created during the summer session of MPs at Banz Abbey in Bavaria.
According to the proposal, the Bundeswehr should operate more than 100,000 drones across all size categories. Unmanned aircraft would be used for reconnaissance, protection of military units, and conducting combat operations. The CSU intends to also utilize Ukraine's experience when building these capabilities; during its conflict with Russia, Ukraine significantly expanded drone production, deployment, as well as systems designed to destroy them.
Alexander Hoffmann, chairman of the parliamentary group of the CSU, already called for concluding a defense agreement with Kyiv before negotiations. According to him, Germany will continue supporting Ukraine but should also gain access to Ukrainian experience in drones, counter-drone defenses, and other modern weapon systems.
According to the CSU, German rearmament must not be limited solely to airspace. The proposal also counts on creating a fleet of more than a thousand military satellites that would ensure secure communication, reconnaissance, information networking, and precise situational awareness using radar systems and special cameras.
The CSU claims that security policy is increasingly moving into orbit as well. According to the party, owning its own satellite network would strengthen Germany's defense capabilities, NATO, and the European Union while reducing dependence on foreign technology companies.
Related to this is also a demand for developing Europe's own launch vehicles and spaceports. According to the document, Germany and Europe must not remain dependent on foreign providers such as American company SpaceX, which today handles a significant share of commercial satellite launches.
The CSU chairman and Bavarian premier Markus Söder linked defense investments with broader efforts to restore Germany's technological and economic power. The country should strive for leading positions in key technologies; otherwise it risks losing its current economic position.
CSU's proposal shows that experience from the war in Ukraine is significantly changing German politicians' views on the future shape of their army. Instead of relying primarily on traditional heavy equipment, the Bundeswehr will increasingly bet on mass deployment of relatively inexpensive drones, artificial intelligence, interconnected information systems, and military technologies in space.
gnews.cz - GH