The Bundeswehr's logistics command: Analysis of structure, order and strategic realignment in the sign of the turn

Germany as a NATO hub: What Bundeswehr logistics must now do

The Bundeswehr's logistics command (Logkdobw), founded in 2013, is the central ability command and the logistical backbone of the German armed forces. It bundles responsibility for the planning, control, training and further development of the entire Bundeswehr logistics. With a personnel thickness of around 17,000 relatives and a complex structure of mobile and inpatient forces, it ensures the supply from the home base to the area of operations. The “turnaround in time” triggered by the Russian attack war on Ukraine has forced a fundamental paradigm shift from foreign missions as part of international crisis management (IKM) for state and alliance defense (LV/BV). This presents the logKdobw in front of immense challenges and requires a realignment in the areas of structure, way of thinking, technology and cooperation. This report analyzes the core characteristics of command, its organizational architecture, its operational role and the profound transformations in the current security policy context. It illuminates the strategic tension between the need for military “manifold” and the increasing dependence on civil partners and closes with an evaluation of future challenges and strategic recommendations.

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• Germany as a military logistics hub: the NATO New Force Model: Massive troops as a new reality

The nervous system of the armed forces

The strategic imperative of military logistics

Logistics is not a mere service provider, but a crucial “capable” military operations. The realization “Without logistics there are no military effects!” is a fundamental principle of military science. It forms the foundation for the perseverance, mobility and ultimately the combat power of the troop by ensuring that material, from the individual screw to the tank gear, is available. The Bundeswehr's logistical system (LOGSBW) is described as a complex “network of networking”. It links the basic logistics that acts out of home, with the operational logistics of the sub -armed forces, the civilian organizational areas of the military administration and the services of third parties, such as the commercial economy and Allied partners, into an integrated network of activity.

Foundation 2013: A paradigm shift in leadership philosophy

The establishment of the Bundeswehr logistics command (Logkdobw) on January 15, 2013 in Erfurt was a direct consequence of the realignment of the Bundeswehr, which aimed at consistent bundling of skills. The founding idea was the application of the principle of “task competence responsibility” (AKV principle). Responsibility previously distributed to different places have been merged at one point in order to reduce dysfunctional responsibility diffusion and increase efficiency. Among other things, the command took over the tasks of the Dilated Logistics Office of the Bundeswehr in Sankt Augustin. However, this centralization of the leadership did not aim at a centralization of the provision of services, but on its central coordination in decentralized execution. The founding of the command was therefore not only an administrative restructuring, but a fundamental philosophical change. He reflected the attempt to transfer a model of “single responsibility” based on entrepreneurial principles to a core military function. The time of the foundation in 2013, before the annexation of Crimea 2014, is crucial. The prevailing military paradigm was international crisis management (IKM), which logistically demanding, but in a more controlled and less competitive environment than a conflict between equal opponents. The main driver was the more effective administration of limited resources in a falling defense household era. As a result, the founding philosophy and the initial structure of the logkdobw were optimized for a security policy environment that no longer exists today. The “turning point” therefore not only questions structures and equipment, but the entire organizational DNA of command, which now has to switch from a logic of efficiency to logic of resilience and redundancy.

The double role of the commander: General Bundeswehr logistics

In order to underline the overall federal government, the commander of the Logkdobw was also given the function of the “General Bundeswehr logistics”. In this double role, he is responsible for the overarching design, control, coordination and further development of the entire logistical system of the Bundeswehr below the level of the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVG).

Order spectrum and core skills

The pillars of care: the “what” of Bundeswehr logistics

The core order of the logistics command is to ensure basic logistics in and from Germany. This can be summarized in the guiding principle: to provide the right material, at the right time, in the right place, for the right recipient. The range of tasks is extremely wide:

• Material management and maintenance: This includes storage, management and output of spare parts of all sizes, from the gearbox of a combat tank to the smallest screw. An essential part is the maintenance and manufacture of military material, which includes wheel and chain vehicles, complex weapons and radar systems as well as communication systems.
• Supply with quantity consumption goods (MVG): One of the most visible tasks is the supply of the troops with operating material (fuel), ammunition, meals, drinking water and market goods (articles of personal needs). This supply is often introduced to the edge of the combat zone.
• Transport and transport: Command is responsible for the transport of all types of suppliers across the country, lake and air. This includes the envelope of material in sea and airports as well as at rail terminals. A unique ability of the Bundeswehr is the use of bearings, which are a highly permissible transportation, especially in difficult alpine terrain, if vehicles or helicopters cannot be used.
• Other logistical services: The spectrum is rounded off by the provision of clothing, rescue and removal of damaged vehicles as well as the organization of the military postal service (field post), which represents an important connection between the soldiers in action and their homeland.

Special order Redestement: The complex way home

The logKDOBW acts as a central planner, coordinator, troop device and feasible for the substantive repayment of personnel and material from the areas of application. This ability was comprehensively demonstrated in particular when the long -term missions in Afghanistan (RSM) and Mali (minusma) ended. The process of relocation serves as a microcosm, which reveals the complexity, the deep dependencies and the planning intensity of the entire LogSBW. It is not a simple return transport, but a highly strategic, cross -departmental operation. The process begins at a strategic level in the BMVG with the participation of planners of the logkdobw and is implemented on the basis of operational requirements of the Bundeswehr command command (one -fükdobw). Specific, tailor -made concepts (“Tailored to the Mission”) are developed for each mission, which take into account factors such as regional conditions, scope and type of material, time specifications and available transport routes. A crucial step is to categorize and prioritize the triggered material according to criteria such as military security, strategic objectives and economy. The operational implementation is largely due to the subordinate logistics center of the Bundeswehr (LOGZBW), which also integrates civilian transport companies and multinational partners into the process. Upon arrival in Germany, the LOGZBW controls the further transport from the ports to the respective recipient service. There the material is checked for transport damage and its warehouse and output capacity is restored. The knowledge obtained during the rewarding is of great value; They are systematically evaluated and flow directly into the further development of material and procedures, for example as part of the customer product management (CPM). Successful re -relocation on a large scale is one of the best indicators for the maturity and performance of the military logistics system of a nation. The Bundeswehr's experience over almost 30 years in this area represents an important, albeit often overlooked, institutional ability that can be transferred directly to the challenges of great troop movements as part of the state and alliance defense.

Organizational architecture and structure

The staff in Erfurt: the brain of the command

The Bundeswehr's logistics command has its headquarters in the Löberfeld barracks in Erfurt. Due to the scope of staff, parts of the staff are also housed in a rented office building in the north of the city. The rod itself, led by a head of the staff in the rank of a colonel IG, is essentially divided into three departments: leadership, commitment and planning. The deployment department deals with the logistical leadership in operations and exercises, material management, maintenance and manufacturing (IHF) as well as technical-logistical management (TLM) and the area of transport and transport. The planning department is responsible for the conceptual further development of the Bundeswehr's logistical system (LOGSBW), the development of logistical basics and data management logistics. The entire command has a target strength of around 15,000 to 17,000 civilian and military posts, which makes it comparable in size to the German Navy. The staff in Erfurt comprises around 750 employees.

The restructuring 2025: Integration into the support area

In the course of the greatest Bundeswehr reform for decades, the dispute base (SKB), which has been a logKdobw since its foundation, was declared on average in April 1, 2025. The logkdobw was seamlessly transferred to the newly established support area (UStGber) and subordinated to the Bundeswehr's new support command. This new area bundles central cross-sectional skills such as logistics, field hunter (military police), ABC defense and the medical service and is intended to strengthen the reaction and perseverance ability of the armed forces as a whole.

The mobile logistics troops: the spearhead of the supply in the field

The mobile logistics troops form the backbone of the supply and exercises and are the executive forces of the command in the field. They are led by the “commander of the mobile logistics troops of basic logistics”.

Structure of the mobile logistics troops

The troops are divided into two logistics regiments, the logistics regiment 1 in Burg (Saxony-Anhalt) and the logistics regiment 4 in Volkach (Bavaria), with a total of eight subordinate logistics battalons.

Transformation for national and alliance defense

As part of the strategic realignment of the state and alliance defense (LV/BV), the battalions have been resorted to “light” and “heavy” logistics battalions since October 2024. This new structure is intended to increase flexibility and agility in order to meet the increased transport requirement and the need for a dynamic, mobile willingness of supply goods in a highly intensive conflict scenario.

Rsom ability (recording, provision, further transport)

The logistics battalion 163 RSOM in Delmenhorst plays a special role. It is specialized in “Reception, Staging, Onward Movement” and thus represents a key ability for NATO in order to absorb, care for and prepare incoming allied forces in the alliance area.

Special pioneering regiment 164 (Spezpirgt 164)

The regiment stationed in Husum is a unique and highly specialized ability within the logKdobw. His main task is the construction and operation of field camps and field accumulators. Each of its 18 field camps are able to build a warehouse for up to 1,000 soldiers. The pipeline pioneering company, which is subordinate to the regiment, can build and operate field stock stores and mobile pipeline systems. In addition, the regiment has skills for brunal bore and water treatment and regularly provides help in the civil-military cooperation (ZMZ).

The inpatient logistical facilities: the home base of logistics

Logistics Center of the Bundeswehr (LOGZBW)

The LogzBW, founded in Wilhelmshaven in 2002, is the central hub for the material supply of the entire Bundeswehr. It is responsible for supply chain management, disposition of material, maintenance and manufacturing control as well as the planning and control of traffic and transport. It leads the nationwide distributed locational institutions (depots) and is decisive for the planning and implementation of strategic transports and rejections. In view of the “turning point”, eight formerly disused material and ammunition warehouse will be reactivated by 2029 in order to significantly increase the storage capacity for an LV/BV scenario.

Logistics School of the Bundeswehr (LogsBW)

With its headquarters in Osterholz-Scharmbeck (Garlstedt district), it is the central training facility for the entire logistical and motor-technical staff of the Bundeswehr, from team rates to staff officers. Your mandate includes training, further and further education, the preparation for use of logistical forces, training in dangerous goods and the implementation of tactical and logistical application exams for new land systems. Important subordinate institutions are the logistical exercise center (LOGEBZ) for realistic staff exercises and the multinational coordination and training center of the joint logistical support group (JCTC), which promotes training in the NATO framework.

Center of the Bundeswehr (ZKFWBW)

The ZKFWBW, based in Mönchengladbach, acts as a central authority for all road traffic law matters of the Bundeswehr. It is responsible for the approval of all Bundeswehr vehicles (granting the Y license plate), the exhibition of service leaders and the training of military drivers in 20 nationwide-distributed motor vehicle training centers. It defines the standards for driving training and the technical safety of the vehicles and accompanies the introduction of new technologies such as partial and fully automated driving systems.

The national cataloging authority: the language of logistics

The national catalogation authority of the Federal Republic of Germany is located within the Planning of the LogKdobw in Erfurt. Your task is the uniform material cataloging of all (weapon) systems, devices and individual items in accordance with the binding standards of the NATO Codification System (NCS), also known as Allied Committee 135 (AC/135). This authority, which is subject to the BMVG, awards a clear NATO supply number for each material piece. This is a decisive basis for logistical interoperability with alliance partners, since it ensures that all nations talk about the exact same material and can clearly identify and manage it in common systems.

Logistic precision: How Germany's military ensures care

Logistic precision: How Germany's military ensures care – Image: Xpert.digital

Table: Simplified representation of the organizational architecture of the Bundeswehr logistics command.

The logistical precision of the Bundeswehr is a complex and well -structured system that ensures military care and support. At the top is the Bundeswehr logistics command in Erfurt, which is responsible for total control, planning and further development of logistics.

The mobile logistics troops are distributed nationwide and ensure logistical support for missions and exercises. Two logistics regiments – one in Burg for the north and one in Volkach for the south – coordinate the assumed battalions. These battalions specialize in transport, envelope and supply and are stationed at various locations such as Delmenhorst, Beelitz and Kümmersbruck.

In addition, there are special units such as the special pioneering regiment in Husum, which operates field camps, petrol stations and pipelines and ensures the water supply. Inpatient logistical institutions such as the logistics center in Wilhelmshaven and the logistics school in Osterholz-Scharmbeck complete this efficient supply system.

Other important departments such as the center of motorists in Mönchengladbach and the national cataloging authority in Erfurt complete the logistical infrastructure of the Bundeswehr.

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The logistics command in use: from stabilization to deterrence

Teaching from International Crisis Management (IKM): The era of foreign missions

Over two decades, the Logistics of the Bundeswehr was primarily geared towards the requirements of international missions within the framework of international crisis management (IKM), especially in Afghanistan (ISAF/RSM) and Mali (minusma). These missions shaped the structures, procedures and the self -image of the logistics force. The IKM logistics was characterized by a “quasi-inpatient” character. The supply was based on large, relatively well-secured field warehouse as in Mazar-e-Sharif or Gao, which served as central logistical nodes. The threat to the supply chains was primarily asymmetrical and less compared to an LV/BV scenario, which made it possible to concentrate the resources. Instead of an indefinite due to an indefinite period, the principle of rotation of quotas, which had to be cared for for a defined period of time, had a self -sufficient manner. The use in Mali (minusma) is an exemplary example of the complexity of these missions. The logistical support was an enormous challenge due to the extreme climatic conditions, the huge distances and the distributed locations of the troops. Due to the high risk of land paths, the supply of German forces in GAO had to be ensured almost exclusively by air transport from Germany. The logkdobw was responsible for the overarching planning and coordination, while special pioneering forces of the Spezpirtgt 164 built and operated the field camps that acted as a lifeline for the troop. The success of the entire material from Mali after completing the mission was a logistical masterpiece that underlined the performance of the entire system.

The role in the NATO alliance defense: the new core business

With the “turnaround”, the state and alliance defense (LV/BV) has become the main task of the Bundeswehr. The logKdobw is a central player and of crucial importance for the deterrent and defense ability of the alliance. Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) in Lithuania: Germany is particularly responsible as a leadership of multinational NATO BATTLENGROUP in Lithuania. The logkdobw is largely responsible for the logistical care of this association. This includes the regular rotation of personnel and material every six months, which is also a constant training of strategic laying ability. Care company, for example from the supply battalion 131 from Thuringia or the supply battalion 142 from Hagenow, are an integral part of the German quotas and ensure the material operational and perseverance of Battleroup on site. NATO Response Force (NRF) / Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF): Logkdobw provides decisive forces for NATO's fast -moving spearhead, the VJTF. When Germany held the leadership of the VJTF regional shares in 2023, the supply battalion 131 made a core contribution to the logistical support of the brigade. Logistics regiment 1 was specially certified to move as a national support association in the event of an alarm and to control and maintain the logistical network from home country to the operational area. Participation in the VJTF requires the highest level of material and personnel willingness, interoperability with the Allies and the ability to quickly lay within a few days. Exercises in preparation for an emergency: In order to train the complex procedures of the LV/BV, the LogKdobw regularly takes part in large national and multinational exercises. Exercises such as “Blue Lightning” with 2,800 soldiers and 1,200 vehicles or participation in the Quadriga series, for example with “Nordic Response”, serve to use and optimize the laying of large troop bodies over long distances and the logistical supply under realistic, demanding conditions. The transition from IKM to LV/BV reveals a fundamental ability gap that tries to close the logkdobw under high pressure: the change from a predictable, centralized logistics to an agile, distributed and resilient logistics, which works under constant threat from an equal opponent. While IKM logistics were primarily challenged by environmental factors such as the climate and terrain, LV/BV scenarios assume that an opponent will systematically attack logistical nodes, transport routes and depots. The repeated concept of “welfare” reflects this new reality. The structural response to this is the conversion into light and severe logistics battalions. This is a direct departure from the “quasi-stationary” IKM model and not only requires more equipment, but also a complete way of thinking. Logisticians now have to think and act more like combat troops, with aspects such as self -protection, camouflage, deception and redundancy putting the foreground. The skills learned in the IKM are valuable, but are no longer sufficient for the new threat environment.

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• Duplication of NATO support skills by private sector and dual-use logistics in logistics, replenishment and transportation

The “turnaround”: paradigm shift and strategic realignment

From IKM to LV/BV: The change in ways of thinking, structure and ability profile

The realignment of the German security and defense policy referred to as the “turn of time” after the full attack of Russia to Ukraine in February 2022, the priorities of the Bundeswehr and thus the logkdobw fundamentally shifted. The focus is now unequivocally on the state and alliance defense (LV/BV) within the framework of NATO. This forces a profound way of thinking at all levels. The rotation logic of the IKM inserts, which is aimed at efficiency and predictability, must be the need to be “working in war and start-up”. Unlike foreign inserts in the LV/BV scenario, there are potentially no defined start or a foreseeable end and require permanent, robust perseverance under the most adverse conditions. Direct consequences of this realignment are already visible in structural adjustments such as the reorganization of the logistics battalions, the reactivation of depots to enlarge the storage capacity and the planned growth of personnel and material.

Challenge “Turntable Germany”: Logistics hub for NATO

Germany's central geographical location in Europe gives it a key role as a logistical “hub” for Allied troops to the NATO-East flank, known as host country support (HNS). Logkdobw has the order to create a powerful network of transport, handling and support services under the leadership of the Bundeswehr in order to ensure the fast and smooth march of allied forces. This includes very concrete tasks such as the operation of resting and gathering rooms along the main marches, the refueling of vehicle columns or the provision of meals. The close cooperation with civilian actors, such as the agreement with Autobahn GmbH for simplifying military crafts, is of essential importance. The ability to carry out RSOM (reception, staging, onward movement) for large allied quotas is a core claim to the logKdobw and its subordinate associations.

Future orientation through cooperation: the civil-military symbiosis

In view of limited own military resources and a long -social shortage of skilled workers, the logkdobw massively deepens cooperation with the civilian economy. The central instrument for this is the project “Future orientation cooperations in logistics”. This project is divided into several specialist panels that examine and implement specific fields of cooperation:

Material management and storage

The storage of material and in particular from exercise ammunition via multi -partner framework contracts are awarded to civil logistics service providers. This creates flexible buffer capacities and relieves the Bundeswehr's own depots.

Logistical support in relocation

Civil general entrepreneurs should take over intermodal transports (street, rail, lake, air) and the operation of port terminals and rest rooms for defined performance packages.

Maintenance and production

In Bundeswehr's own institutions, cooperation models such as the “shoulder on the shoulder” model, in which civil and military staff work together, are tested. These collaborations are often implemented through the federal army repair logistics (Hil) GmbH.

Cooperative personnel models

In order to counter the shortage of skilled workers, partnerships are received with the economy, such as the Logistik Netzwerk Thuringia. The aim is the mutual qualification and the exchange of personnel to gain and bind skilled workers, in particular through the integration of excreting time soldiers into the civil logistics industry and their binding as reservists.

Drivice

Cooperations with industry are also sought in the field of motor skills in the development, testing and approval of new vehicle technologies.

One crucial aspect of these cooperation is that the contracts explicitly provide for the provision of services even in the event of tension and defense in order to legally secure the reliability of the civil partners in an emergency.

Digital transformation and technological innovation

Digitization is a crucial lever to increase performance and to ensure the future viability of the Bundeswehr logistics. The largest and most important project in this area is the migration of the existing IT system SASPF based on SAP on the new SAP S/4HANA technology. In addition, further innovation fields are actively promoted, including additive manufacturing (3D printing) for the quick production of spare parts in the operating area, the use of transport drones for the supply of difficult-to-reach places, the use of data glasses to support complex repair work and testing exoskelettes for physical relief for staff. A special focus is on researching the unmanned travel of land systems. This has the potential to significantly increase the transport capacity with the same personnel effort and to reduce the risk to soldiers. The “Time turn” has created a strategic paradox for the logkdobw: it must also become militarily more self -sufficient and “war -related”, while it has to integrate deeper with the civil sector due to a lack of resources. This development creates a critical dependency and a potential weak point. While the LV/BV requires robust, protected and functioning logistics, personnel and budget bottlenecks force the Bundeswehr to profound partnerships with civil industry, especially when coping with the task as a “turntable Germany”. Although the contracts explicitly include the defense, the ability of a civil logistics company to operate under direct military threats is fundamentally different from that of a military unit. The staff is not militarily trained, the equipment is not hardened and the risk calculation commercially. The logKdobw recognizes this risk and plans explicitly “strategic relapse positions (backup solutions)”. This is the admission that in the worst case, the performance of civil partners cannot be 100 % sure. The success of the logkdobw in a future conflict depends not only on your own skills, but also decisively on the resilience of its civilian partners and the effectiveness of these “backup solutions”.

Comparative analysis: military logistics in an international context

The organizational structure of a military logistics command is a direct mirror of its strategic priorities, its historical development and its military-industrial landscape. An international comparison shows that there is no universal “best” model.

Material command of the US Army (AMC)

The AMC of the US Army is a gigantic command with a personnel strength of over 70,000 relatives and a global presence. His headquarters are located in the Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The area of responsibility of the AMC is enormous and comprises the entire chain from research and development to procurement, storage and distribution to maintenance and sale of military material to allies, true to the motto: “If a Soldier Shoots IT, Drives IT, Flies IT, Communicates with IT – AMC Provides IT”. Structurally, the AMC is divided into several subordinate commands, each specializing in specific weapons systems, such as the Aviation and Missile Command or the tank automotive and armament command. In comparison, the AMC is significantly larger and broader than the logKdobw, since it also integrates large parts of research, development and procurement that are located in Germany in separate offices such as BAAINBW. However, the underlying logic of a central responsibility for the entire life cycle of the material is similar.

British army – 101st brigade for operational support & 104th brigade for theater support

The British army pursues a more differentiated structure. The 101 Operational Sustainment Brigade is responsible for direct logistical support (Combat Service Support) of the fighting 3rd (UK) Division and combines logistics, repair, medical and military police. The 104 Theater Sustainment Brigade, on the other hand, is a specialized formation that provides unique skills for logistics at the overarching theater level. This includes port and sea transport, postal services, movement control (Movement Control) and the strategic folder storage. This British structure thus separates the direct support of a division (comparable to the operational logistics of the German sub -forces) from the overarching, specialized theater logistics. The German Logkdobw bundles many of these specialized skills under one roof, which is a stronger centralization of responsibility.

French army – logistics command of the Armed Forces (Com-Log)

The French Com-Log, founded in 2016 in Lille in 2016, was responsible for the coordination and securing of the logistical operational readiness of the army and included various transport (train), medical (Médical) and support regiments. However, French experience shows the dynamic and often iterative nature of military reforms. After repeated restructuring (foundation of a forerunner in 1998, dissolution 2009, new foundation in 2016), the COM-LOG was resolved again in 2024 and its tasks were divided into a new Brigade Logistique and the Commandement de l'Appui et de la Logistique de Théâtre. This development indicates a continued search for the optimal structure, in contrast to the previously more stable German model of the central capacity command.

The German model of the logkdobw represents a compromise: it centralizes coordination, training and specialized skills (similar to the British 104th brigade), but leaves direct operational logistics in the suburban army, air force and marine. It is an attempt to use the advantages of centralization (standardization, efficiency, uniform planning) without fully robbed the sub -forces of their organic logistical support. The success of this model, especially in the highly intensive environment of the LV/BV, is one of the central questions for the future and offers a valuable case study for other allies nations.

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• Military logistics 4.0: The future of military supply chains – automation and civilian infrastructure as strategic factors for NATO

The logistics command as a strategic capable

Summary of the core characteristics and transformation

The Bundeswehr's logistics command is more than just a collection of logistics units; It is the central control body, the conceptual thought leaders and the operational backbone for the entire Bundeswehr logistics. His foundation in 2013 was a conscious and logical step to bundle responsibility and to increase efficiency in a time of missions abroad and scarce. The “Time turn” has torn command from its efficiency-trimmed IKM comfort zone and now forces it to form a fundamental transformation. The goal is a system geared towards resilience, redundancy and “manifold”, which has grown to the requirements of state and alliance defense.

Evaluation of the central challenges

The future performance of the logkdobw depends on the management of three central challenges:

staff

The demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers represent the largest strategic brake for the growth and modernization. The extraction and maintenance of qualified staff – from truck drivers to IT specialists to engineers – is an existential task for the Bundeswehr as a whole and for the logkdobw in particular.

material

The filling of the “hollow structures” that have been created for years of underfunding, as well as the modernization of the outdated fleet and the equipment are essential, but extremely time and costly. A clever balance between highly technological, but potentially prone to interference and robust, easy-to-waiting “backup solutions” must be found in order to ensure operability under all conditions.

Civil-military cooperation

The increasing dependence on civil partners is both an opportunity to expand capacity as well as a considerable risk of availability, reliability and protection in the event of crisis and defense. The legal and practical design of the cooperation contracts and the consistent planning of military redundancies are of the utmost strategic importance.

Recommendations and strategic outlook

The following strategic recommendations can be derived for the future orientation of the logistics command:

Deepen multinational integration

The cooperation as part of NATO (e.g. framework nation concept, FNC) and EU (e.g. constant structured cooperation, pesco) must go beyond joint exercises. The goal must be a real bundling and common use of scarce logistical skills in order to raise synergies and increase the resilience of the entire alliance. Institutions such as the coordination and training center of the joint logistical support group (JCTC) at the Logistics School of the Bundeswehr are important building blocks for this, which must be further strengthened.

Accelerate digital transformation

The introduction of SAP S/4HANA must be consistently advanced in order to enable modern, data -based logistics control. The potential of automation and artificial intelligence must be determined to compensate for personnel bottlenecks and accelerate processes. The top priority must have cyber security and the “war -based” functionality of the systems under adverse conditions.

Hardening resilience of the logistics chains

The teachings from the war in Ukraine must be consistently implemented in concrete measures. This means investments in the active and passive protection of logistical institutions and convoys, the systematic creation of redundancies in the supply and repair chains and the further development of decentralized, agile logistics concepts. The dependence on civil partners must be secured by robust and exercised military “backup solutions”.

Personal strategy re -thinking

Innovative personnel models are an important beginning, but will not be enough. As an employer, the Bundeswehr must become more competitive in the critical shortcomings of logistics. This requires a courageous review of salary structures, career models and working time regulations in order to be able to consist of competition for skilled workers.

The Bundeswehr's logistics command is at a crucial point in its history. His ability to adapt quickly and extensively to the new realities of state and alliance defense will not only decide on his own future, but also significantly about the operational readiness and deterrent effect of the entire German armed forces.

Markus Becker

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