NATO headed for military buildup on eastern flank of Europe - German Defense Chief
Germany's armed forces chief says Berlin may buy missile systems from the US or "Israel" to shield itself from "an existing threat", and adds that NATO will shore up its eastern flank by the end of May.
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Bundeswehr Inspector General, Eberhard Zorn
Germany is mulling the purchase of missile systems from the United States or "Israel" in order to shield itself from what it called the "threat" posed by Russia's advanced missiles, according to the chief of Germany's armed forces, Eberhard Zorn.
The Bundeswehr's Inspector General said there are questions that Germany needs to answer now, namely how it will procure the missile systems it needs.
“The Israelis and the Americans have such systems. Which one is preferable? Will we be able to build a joint [missile defense] system in NATO? These are the questions we need to answer now,” he told the Welt daily.
The German Armed Forces' highest officer said Russia's "famed" Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea have the ability to strike almost anywhere in Western Europe. Since Germany has neither the time nor money to develop the system itself because the "missile threat is already there and it is known", it will need to purchase the systems.
Shoring up the eastern flank
Perhaps more importantly, the general said there are no signs that Russia is planning for an attack against a NATO member state, and this means the alliance now has time to shore up its capabilities on Europe's eastern flank.
The buildup's scope will span from the Baltic to the Black Sea, and will last until the end of May.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg had said in February, before the war in Ukraine, that the alliance is looking to step up efforts to strengthen its eastern flank.
"Today, ministers decided to develop options to further strengthen NATO's deterrence and defense, including to consider establishing new NATO battle groups in central and south-eastern Europe," Stoltenberg said. He added that "NATO military commanders will now work on the details and report back within weeks."
On February 26, NATO announced it will deploy its 40,000-strong rapid response force in a historic first, which would be ready to respond to security crises within two or three days to bolster its eastern flank.
