dpa/TIN24 | Berlin | 19.11.2025 | Editor: Amit Alhat
Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, Commander of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, has issued a stark warning: Germany has not yet reached the level of strategic maturity required by the current security environment. Speaking at the opening of the 24th Berlin Security Conference on Tuesday, the senior German Air Force officer demanded a fundamental rethink of deterrence and a comprehensive strengthening of defence preparedness across all levels of society.
“Our main challenge is deterrence – deterrence today and against all forms of aggression,” Gerhartz declared. He stressed that successful deterrence in an era of increasing hybrid attacks requires far more than just financial investments.
“To transform pure investments into real deterrence, institutions must change, processes must be accelerated, and – most importantly – our entire society must come on board.”
The NATO general sharply criticised the months-long political wrangling over the reintroduction of a new German military service model, which was only resolved last week.
“Russia, he warned, is well aware that German arms procurement processes can take years and that industry still struggles to significantly ramp up production.
Gerhartz also called for a new approach to deterrence in the “grey zone” – hybrid attacks that fall below the threshold of NATO’s Article 5 collective defence obligation.
“We must fundamentally rethink our approach to deterrence,” he insisted.
The two-day Berlin Security Conference, attended by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson, and more than 140 international speakers, is focusing heavily on boosting European arms production, adopting new technologies, and strengthening societal resilience.
Author: The India News 24
TIN24 (The India News 24) The India News 24 (TIN24) is a Mumbai-based news Digital Media focusing on breaking news, local and regional issues in India, with content primarily in Marathi. It was established with an X (Twitter) presence since July 2022. Owner & News Editor: Amit Alhat Education: BA in Mass Communication Journalism (Graduate) Experience: 12 years in journalism Platforms: - Website: https://theindianews24.in - X (Twitter): https://x.com/the_indianews24 - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theindianews247 - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theindianews_24
