The German army has inquired with several leading companies in the country about the possibility of logistical support in the event of a possible deployment of troops and equipment to NATO's eastern border in times of crisis, the economic publication Handelsblatt reported.
In the context of NATO's new defense model, Berlin has committed to providing 35,000 troops, over 200 aircraft and ships within 30 days of the start of a serious conflict - a commitment related to the growing threat from Russia.
According to Handelsblatt, the army relies mainly on private logistics operators to transport troops, ammunition and military equipment, especially in crisis areas. Among the companies that were contacted were Rheinmetall, the Lufthansa aviation group and the state-owned railway company Deutsche Bahn.
The publication also said that talks are underway to see if Lufthansa's flight academy could take over basic training for fighter pilots, which would relieve the burden on military training centers.
The German Defense Ministry has not officially commented on the information, and Deutsche Bahn said it could not provide details about military logistics. Lufthansa declined to comment, and Rheinmetall, which in February signed a contract with the Bundeswehr for logistical support for operations in Germany and abroad, also did not respond to a request for comment.
After the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany sharply changed its defense policy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a "Zeitenwende" - a historic turnaround, with the allocation of 100 billion euros for the modernization of the army.
The new German government has promised to meet NATO defense requirements and increase military spending, as well as to introduce a new form of voluntary military service. But the challenges facing the Bundeswehr remain serious - decades of underestimating defense and focusing on missions such as the one in Afghanistan have left the German armed forces inadequately prepared for high-tech warfare against a comparable adversary.