Germany establishes new military command for domestic deployment of troops

BERLIN

Germany on Monday set up a new military command to boost the country’s defense capabilities and facilitate the domestic deployment of troops in crisis situations.

The Bundeswehr’s Territorial Operations Command was activated with a ceremony at the Julius Leber Barracks in Berlin, which was attended by Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht and the top military commanders.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lambrecht said the inauguration of the new command shows that Germany is taking rapid, concrete and effective steps to address new challenges following Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“We are strengthening our readiness and our ability to act on the territory that we will defend in the event of an attack,” she said, adding that the new command will also bear responsibility as part of homeland security, hybrid threat situations, disaster relief, and matters of civil-military cooperation.

She said the new command will accelerate decision-making processes, by combining command and control structures of Bundeswehr, the German armed forces.

The Territorial Operations Command will coordinate the deployment of forces in Germany within the framework of national and collective defence, including the support of partner nations during their deployment by Germany, in close coordination with the NATO commands.

The Defense Ministry said the new command will have approximately 550 military and 250 civilian personnel, and Lieutenant General Carsten Breuer will be its first commander.