Germany as a military logistics hub – The urgent need to catch up in infrastructure
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Published on: October 5, 2025 / Updated on: October 5, 2025 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Germany as a military logistics hub – The urgent need to catch up in infrastructure – Image: Xpert.Digital
From problem child to bulwark: Can a €500 billion plan still save Germany's decaying infrastructure?
NATO hub on shaky ground: Germany's infrastructure disaster threatens all of Europe
Germany is undergoing a historically significant phase of military and security policy realignment. As a central European power and an indispensable hub for NATO logistics, the country faces enormous infrastructure challenges that significantly impact both national defense capabilities and alliance security. Decades of neglect of critical transport and defense infrastructure have created a dramatic backlog of repairs that must now be addressed with unprecedented investment efforts.
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Germany's new strategic role in the NATO alliance
Germany has undergone a fundamental strategic transformation since the end of the Cold War. While the country was considered a potential frontline state until reunification, it now occupies the central position of a logistical hub for the entire NATO alliance. This geographical location makes Germany an indispensable transit zone for troops, equipment, and supplies needed to defend NATO's eastern flank.
The new security reality following the Russian invasion of Ukraine has further intensified this role. Germany must now be able to transport and supply up to 800,000 soldiers and 200,000 vehicles across its territory within six months. These enormous logistical demands require a completely new dimension of infrastructural capacity.
NATO has redefined its strategic priorities with its new Force Model and the defense targets agreed at the 2025 Summit of 3.5 percent of gross domestic product for core defense spending and an additional 1.5 percent for military infrastructure. Germany is to achieve these ambitious goals by 2029, thus fully fulfilling its role as a European defense center.
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The dramatic state of the German transport infrastructure
Bridges in critical condition
Germany's transport infrastructure suffers alarming deficiencies, endangering both civilian economic activity and military logistics. The condition of its bridges is particularly dire: Around 16,000 federally owned bridges are considered dilapidated. On highways, 42 percent of the total 28,000 bridge structures are in need of renovation or must be completely rebuilt.
Although the Federal Ministry of Transport has launched a bridge modernization program that envisions renovating 4,000 motorway bridges over the next ten years, implementation is lagging dramatically behind. Instead of the planned 280 modernizations, only 69 were completed in 2024. The backlog of renovations is steadily worsening, endangering not only civilian traffic but also military mobility.
The Carola Bridge in Dresden, which partially collapsed into the Elbe River in September 2024, and the closed Ringbahn Bridge in Berlin are just the most spectacular examples of the dilapidated condition of Germany's bridge infrastructure. Experts warn of a years-long wave of renovations, as many bridges from the 1960s and 1970s were originally designed for lower traffic loads.
Rail network in disastrous condition
The German rail network, which is of paramount importance for military transport, is also in critical condition. Deutsche Bahn recently assessed the condition of 33,000 kilometers of track: 23 percent of the tracks are in extremely poor condition, as are 48 percent of all signal control centers, 42 percent of level crossings, over 25 percent of all switches, and 22 percent of all overhead lines.
These deficits have a direct impact on performance: In 2022 alone, one in three trains was delayed. For military transport, which must be carried out in a time-critical and reliable manner, these conditions pose a significant safety risk. The Association of German Transport Companies is therefore calling for a basic military railway network with additional investments amounting to billions.
The demands on a military rail network are particularly high: It involves transporting particularly heavy military vehicles that far exceed normal traffic volumes. Redundancies in the route layout, modernized bridges and tunnels, and specialized transshipment points for rapid transfer between road and rail are essential.
Road infrastructure under enormous pressure
German roads are suffering from decades of underfunding. Nearly 25,000 kilometers of highways are damaged. On motorways, the figure is 11,000 kilometers, or about 19 percent, and on federal highways, it's as high as one in three kilometers. These figures illustrate the extent of the repair backlog, which also significantly impacts military transport.
The Bundeswehr has now concluded administrative agreements with eight German states to simplify military road transport. These agreements reduce bureaucratic hurdles and allow for many military transports to be announced only in advance, rather than requiring individual approval. Nevertheless, basic infrastructure remains the limiting factor for efficient military mobility.
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Military infrastructure – a backlog of billions in repairs
Bundeswehr properties in disastrous condition
After decades of underfunding, the Bundeswehr's military infrastructure is in a dire state. The total renovation requirement amounts to an estimated €67 billion by the 2040s. The Bundeswehr operates 1,500 properties with 35,000 buildings and 90,000 rooms, covering an area the size of Saarland.
The Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, describes the condition of many barracks as disastrous. At the Südpfalz Barracks in Germersheim, she found mold in the living rooms and bathrooms, water damage, and peeling plaster on the walls. Similar conditions prevail in numerous other facilities where soldiers are forced to live and work under unacceptable conditions.
The situation regarding accommodations is particularly critical. The Bundeswehr's new accommodation concept provides for single and double rooms with private bathrooms, instead of the outdated four-person rooms with shared sanitary facilities. By 2028, 38 new accommodation buildings with 1,400 single rooms are to be built, but given the more than 3,100 existing accommodation buildings, this is just a drop in the ocean.
Infrastructure investments lag behind demand
The Bundeswehr's infrastructure investments have been neglected for decades. Traditionally, they accounted for only 3.4 to 4.2 percent of defense spending. Even with the €100 billion special fund, this share remains low. Only €11.31 billion is earmarked for the accommodation, operation, and maintenance of barracks and facilities in 2025.
The Bundeswehr will have approximately €1.4 billion available for infrastructure investments in 2024, compared to less than €1 billion in previous years. Given the €67 billion renovation backlog, this is completely inadequate. The breakdown of the financial requirements demonstrates the scale of the challenge: €24 billion for the accumulated renovation backlog, another €24 billion for energy-efficient renovation of all 30,000 buildings, and an additional €12 billion for new projects as part of the "Turning Point."
Special requirements for new weapon systems
The modernization of the Bundeswehr brings with it additional infrastructure requirements. Büchel Air Base must be prepared for the new F-35 fighter jets, with the American manufacturer Lockheed Martin setting very high infrastructure requirements. New logistics battalions require appropriate barracks, and the takeover of the former Rostock Warnow shipyard as a naval arsenal requires extensive reconstruction measures.
Investments in military logistics capabilities
Special funds and defense budget
Germany has dramatically increased its defense spending. The 2025 defense budget amounts to €62.43 billion, plus €24.06 billion from the Bundeswehr Special Fund. This brings the total available for defense to more than €86 billion—a historic high.
The medium-term financial planning envisages further drastic increases: to €82.69 billion in 2026, €93.35 billion in 2027, €136.48 billion in 2028, and €152.83 billion in 2029. A total of around €600 billion is to be spent on defense by 2029, of which €450 billion will come from the special authorization for defense investments.
Logistics infrastructure and dual-use approaches
An innovative approach to addressing these infrastructure challenges is the dual-use concept. Critical transport infrastructure is primarily financed through defense funds but designed to be efficiently shared by civilian users in peacetime. This particularly applies to combined transport facilities, terminals, and transshipment points for road-rail transfer.
Rising NATO defense spending is leading to a significant increase in demand for logistics space. In Germany, an additional need of up to 6 million square meters is forecast. Companies like Rheinmetall are already pushing ahead with their own projects, for example, with a new ammunition factory in Unterlüß.
Military Mobility Corridors
NATO and the EU jointly developed the Military Mobility project to accelerate troop movements in Europe. The first pilot corridor between the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland has been successfully tested and enables standardized procedures for cross-border military transport.
The goal is to create a Military Schengen Area that eliminates bureaucratic obstacles and drastically reduces response times for troop deployments. The west-to-east corridor is particularly important for the transport of troops, equipment, and supplies from major Western European ports to NATO's eastern flank.
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Hub for security and defense - advice and information
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The hub for security and defense offers well-founded advice and current information in order to effectively support companies and organizations in strengthening their role in European security and defense policy. In close connection to the SME Connect working group, he promotes small and medium -sized companies (SMEs) in particular that want to further expand their innovative strength and competitiveness in the field of defense. As a central point of contact, the hub creates a decisive bridge between SME and European defense strategy.
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Resilient infrastructure with dual-use terminals: When civilian ports support military logistics – How Germany prevents supply bottlenecks
Ports as strategic hubs
Bremerhaven and Hamburg as military logistics centers
German seaports play a central role in NATO logistics. Since World War II, Bremerhaven has developed into one of the most important transshipment points for military equipment. The port boasts a 240-hectare parking area and the technical roll-on/roll-off process, which allows the handling of goods up to 21,000 tons.
During the large-scale Defender 2020 exercise, Bremerhaven served as a central hub for 37,000 US troops. Recent arms deliveries to Ukraine, including 60 Bradley tanks and 90 Stryker wheeled armored vehicles, were handled through Bremerhaven. These examples illustrate the strategic importance of port infrastructure for military logistics.
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Security risks and protective measures
German ports are increasingly the focus of hybrid threats. Experts warn of sabotage, espionage, and cyberattacks on this critical infrastructure. Drone overflights over port facilities are a recurring occurrence, such as the industrial facilities in Brunsbüttel or the British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth in the Port of Hamburg.
Port operators are largely powerless against these threats. Security experts are therefore calling for security authorities to be empowered to quickly take down drones and for the use of jammers to protect critical infrastructure. Not only human lives depend on port security, but also the security of supplies and military readiness.
Innovative solutions and modernization programs
Acceleration of construction projects
To address the massive backlog of renovations, the federal and state governments have established a working group that has developed 38 measures to accelerate construction projects. These include raising the value limits for direct awards, consolidating contracts with general contractors, and relaxing monument protection requirements for military infrastructure projects.
Bavaria has already passed a new law to promote the Bundeswehr, which provides for a relaxation of strict regulations for military infrastructure projects. A central information platform is intended to improve cross-state coordination and enable other federal states to take over projects if the local construction administration is overwhelmed.
Special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality
The German government has established a special fund of €500 billion for infrastructure and climate investments. Of this, €100 billion will go to states and municipalities, another €100 billion to the Climate and Transformation Fund, and €300 billion will be available to the federal government for additional investments.
More than nine billion euros are available for investments in rail infrastructure in 2025. By 2029, approximately 100 billion euros are to be invested in rail infrastructure and a total of 166 billion euros in transport infrastructure. These investments will also benefit military mobility.
Technological modernization
Digitalization plays a crucial role in the modernization of military infrastructure. €8.6 billion from the special fund is earmarked for the digitalization of land-based operations alone. Satellite communications and satcom systems will receive a further €4.7 billion.
Modern IT infrastructure is essential not only for communication between units, but also for coordinating complex logistical movements. The system's vulnerability was highlighted by acts of sabotage such as the simultaneous attacks on fiber optic cables in Herne and Berlin-Karow, which led to widespread disruption of train operations.
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European dimension and international cooperation
Military Mobility as a European project
Military mobility has become a flagship project of European cooperation. The EU and NATO are working closely together on various projects to establish a European Military Schengen. Through the Connecting Europe Facility, the European Union is funding projects to expand military mobility, with a focus on dual-use rail infrastructure projects.
The PESCO Military Mobility project and the Network of Logistic Hubs aim to simplify, standardize, and accelerate troop movements. At the same time, the modernization of transport infrastructure is to be advanced to meet both civilian and military needs.
Rhine-Main-Danube corridor as a strategic axis
The Rhine-Main-Danube Corridor, as the only continuous navigable connection between the North Sea and the Black Sea, represents a geostrategic artery. This waterway offers a high-capacity alternative to congested land transport routes for supplying NATO's eastern flank.
However, the Danube River downstream of Germany suffers from significant navigability problems. Narrow passages, insufficient channel depths, and a lack of maintenance prevent continuous transport with modern vessels. Eliminating these bottlenecks is therefore a central project of European transport and safety policy.
Challenges in implementation
The complexity of cross-border military transport is significantly complicated by differing legal systems and jurisdictions. Differing national regulations regarding weight limits, vehicle dimensions, and licensing procedures create bottlenecks that can be catastrophic in the event of a crisis.
The harmonization of these regulations and the creation of uniform standards are therefore essential for the functionality of European Military Mobility. This requires not only technical adjustments but also extensive political and legal reforms at the national and European levels.
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Strategic recommendations
Prioritizing investments
The enormous investment requirements require strategic prioritization. While the procurement of new weapons systems is at the center of public discussion, the basic infrastructure requirements must not be neglected. Without functioning transport routes, secure depots, and modern communications systems, even the most modern weapons will remain ineffective.
A balanced relationship between procurement and infrastructure investments is essential for a credible defense capability. The traditional neglect of infrastructure in favor of spectacular weapons systems must be corrected to ensure sustainable military effectiveness.
Integration of civilian and military needs
The dual-use concept offers significant synergies between civilian and military infrastructure needs. Investments in transport infrastructure primarily financed from defense funds can simultaneously promote economic development and improve the quality of life of the population.
This integrated approach not only reduces costs but also increases public acceptance of defense investments. Modern, high-performance infrastructure serves both national security and economic prosperity.
Resilient and redundant systems
The vulnerability of modern infrastructure systems to sabotage, cyberattacks, or natural disasters requires the development of resilient and redundant systems. Critical traffic routes must have alternative routes, and central communications systems require backup solutions.
Decentralizing key functions and creating modular systems increases the survivability of the infrastructure in the event of a crisis or conflict. This requires a comprehensive risk analysis and the integration of redundancies into all critical systems right from the planning phase.
Germany's transformation into a modern, defensible NATO logistics hub is one of the greatest infrastructure challenges since post-World War II reconstruction. The decades-long backlog of billions of euros in repairs must now be addressed under enormous time pressure, while at the same time, the demands of new threats and changing strategic conditions are constantly increasing.
Only through determined investments, innovative solutions, and close coordination between civilian and military actors can Germany fulfill its new role as a European defense center. The time for half-hearted measures is over – Europe's security depends on the successful modernization of German infrastructure.
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