State protection: “It is incredibly important to speak a common language” | EUROtoday

From September twenty fifth to September twenty seventh, the Bundeswehr in Hamburg can be relocated to troops in direction of Eastern Europe. Around 500 troopers and 50 biking automobiles participate. State commander captain Captain on Lake Kurt Leonard, 57, mentioned Welt what data the Bundeswehr hopes for the maneuver “Red Storm Bravo”. In his view, the spying on essential infrastructure and army services by way of drones additionally will increase in Hamburg.

WELT: Mr. Captain, what important targets do the Bundeswehr pursue with the deliberate maneuver Red Storm Bravo?

Kurt Leonards: We wish to check out abilities right here within the State Command Hamburg along with different army items, for instance the column tour. We wish to fear, what does the drone surroundings really appear like? What abilities do we now have? What threats do we now have? But we additionally wish to follow, how can we assist in a mass assault of accidents? The particular factor about it’s that we don’t wish to protect it, remoted on a army coaching space, however we’re the state command Hamburg within the metropolis of Hamburg. That is why we want to perform this situation in an city atmosphere and above all in cooperation with different civil blue mild organizations so as to have the ability to make a contribution in resilience formation, even within the general protection. It is essential that we now have a typical understanding with the police, with the hearth brigade, with the THW and with others, that these folks, who then come collectively in these totally different organizations, already know one another earlier than. My job is to make a contribution to the general protection in Hamburg.

WELT: These interfaces in all probability labored within the Cold War – and now must be revived and activated once more.

Leonards: We had been definitely totally different and higher ready for exterior threats 40 years in the past than in the present day. However, in fact I’ve to level out that the longer term situation what we anticipate can’t be in contrast one -to -one with the Cold War. The situation till 1990 was {that a} potential working space had been on German soil. Today we assume that there’s a theoretical chance that NATO’s testing in northeastern Europe might happen, within the Baltic States, in Finland, in Poland. This would imply that the Bundeswehr would additionally transfer the forces to those international locations, the place this testing of NATO was anticipated first. NATO was in Germany within the Cold War. In eventualities with which we are actually coping with, giant components of the Bundeswehr are within the working areas, exterior of Germany, within the Baltic States or Scandinavia.

WELT: Is Red Storm Bravo additionally concerning the logistical processes that it’s a must to check to carry bigger troops by way of town?

Leonards: What really occurs when a army column drives by way of a metropolis? What are the duties of the police and the sphere hunters, i.e. the army police? What is the interplay between area hunters and state police? How do you moniture a column from the air? These are all issues that we now have not skilled, particularly within the city space, at the very least in Hamburg. And that is why we don’t wish to protect the train Red Storm Bravo, be remoted on a army coaching space, however in our city space in Hamburg.

WELT: Will Hamburg even be an arrival port within the eventualities of NATO and the Bundeswehr, corresponding to Bremerhaven for the USA and NATO?

Leonards: In order to have the ability to perform and set up NATO’s deployment by Germany, the Operation Plan Germany has been developed. This Operation Plan Germany describes the logistical hub in Germany and what function particular person federal states have. We additionally must be taught once more that there are paperwork that can’t be mentioned publicly. Of course, this additionally consists of the place which troops will land, through which means, to sea, to land or at airports. Therefore, I can solely make a restricted statements.

WELT: Can you say what data you may have drawn from Red Storm Alpha final yr, which are actually useful to carry them in and use them in a subsequent train?

Leonards: At Red Storm Alpha we practiced securing a checkpoint, with reservists, within the port space. We realized that we want a typical language. The army language will be totally different from the language of the police and the hearth brigade and the THW. We have to know who can we contact with. How do you get into the port in any respect, in order that no one is stunned and everybody needs that? You have to attach carefully in the present day. It helps if you find yourself in a gradual change, assume collectively about threats, exchanges and maintains how the person space can grow to be extra resilient. I feel we took that at Red Storm Alpha. That is why Red Storm Bravo is now not simply within the port, but additionally on the interface of the harbor and concrete space and takes place in each areas.

WELT: Will you do such workout routines a yr?

Leonards: Each state command is accountable for creating concepts along with the respective state authorities on methods to additional develop the general state protection within the civil-military space. We are pleased in Hamburg that we’re in an excellent concord with the authorities, above all with the authority for the Interior and Sports and change concepts on a weekly or every day. Together with the state authorities of the state of Hamburg, we can even think about whether or not we wish to develop a Red Storm Charlie and a Red Storm Delta. I feel the event goes there.

WELT: You command the maneuver from right here?

Leonards: Yes, we construct a battle stand right here in our barracks. You can even say a surgical heart. This surgical heart is related to different headquarters of civil blue mild organizations. We have liaison officers within the different administration facilities. We have connectors of the opposite blue mild organizations in our surgical heart. And that is why Red Storm Bravo is an train for us that mainly began in January, as a result of since then we now have had joint planning conferences. We name one thing like this Planning Conference, Main Planning Conference, Final Planning Conference: How can we really put one thing on? Which train targets brings an entity to this train group? How can we be sure that the police can obtain their train targets? Other blue mild organizations, even civilian firms and the Bundeswehr. This was mentioned at these conferences. We have been in a continuing dialogue course of since January. On the 2 days in September, solely the train is carried out, by the way in which with round 400 to 500 troopers of the Bundeswehr. The most important work has occurred beforehand.

WELT: Since the Germany Operation Plan was activated final yr – how effectively has the cooperation between everybody concerned in Hamburg developed?

Leonards: It works very effectively in Hamburg. Because we now have not skilled any concern of contact right here as troopers from the Bundeswehr from the beginning. Quite the alternative. The Authority of the Interior and Sport has additionally reorganized with posts, a brand new division has based. The subject of civil-military cooperation, but additionally general protection, is proven there. We are related to those folks there, but additionally with the opposite authorities led by the opposite senators. We are in a collection of lectures with the opposite authorities, however, I additionally must say that, even with many firms within the financial system, which themselves have initiated the state command and have requested, can we get a lecture on the safety coverage scenario? What issues ought to we expect by way of in our firm? We are additionally in a really intensive change right here in Hamburg with civil society.

WELT: Do firms additionally give you assist?

Leonards: We are addressing enterprise firms and first ask questions concerning the Bundeswehr’s procurement course of and provide their abilities and merchandise. But we even have particular folks – together with administration positions – who come to us and say we now have heard totally different lectures and we wish to make a contribution personally. They inquire about reservist travels, about totally different types of army service. There we’re additionally one thing like an info level and convey folks as a result of they actually come as much as us.

WELT: What impression do you may have concerning the high quality of the infrastructure within the port of Hamburg or about potential deficits?

Leonards: First of all, I’ve the impression that the port of Hamburg has a really exact image of the personal scenario, as we might specific it within the army, a really practical view. And we’re additionally in a position to change concepts. We are additionally in a position to discuss to numerous representatives of the financial system, for instance the Chamber of Commerce, however in fact the very first line with the authorities of the senators about categorized issues of the surgical plan. The port of Hamburg has a really practical image of its potentialities and limits.

WELT: Do you may have any data that drone actions are additionally happening in Hamburg and in port?

Leonards: We know and understand this by way of observations by way of studies that there are drone overfirts about Hamburg. Incidentally additionally through Hamburg barracks. There are additionally quite a few drone overflows about these barracks through which we’re sitting on this yr. Of course, you do not at all times know what the origin is. Are these very skilled, intelligence-based actions or are they only interest drone flyers? Then you at all times have to tell apart so much. Therefore, it is very important describe what we see. I feel we now have an increasing number of abilities to detect drones. So an increasing number of sensors. And we definitely have effectors.

WELT: Hamburg has constructed up three residence safety firms. How will this develop right here?

Leonards: Hamburg had a house safety firm. This residence safety firm was giant and stuffed with round 300 troopers. These residence safety firms are and have been led by reserve officers. From this we made three smaller firms, easy in order that it’s extra manageable. Since April 1, the house safety firm has been subordinate to the house safety regiments, in order that the Hamburg residence safety is now managed by the house safety regiment 4 in Alt Duvenstedt in Schleswig-Holstein. And this residence safety regimental are topic to the homeland safety division, which is situated in Berlin.

Captain at Lake Kurt Leonards, 57, joined the Federal Navy in 1987 as a conscripts. At the German Navy, he served in quite a few makes use of at sea and on land, together with as commander of the frigates “Cologne” and “Lower Saxony”. Leonards has headed the Bundeswehr State Command since 2024. The rank of captain to the lake corresponds to that of a prime one on the military and the Air Force.

Olaf Preuss is the enterprise reporter of the world and world on Sunday for Hamburg and Northern Germany. He studies on the maritime financial system and likewise concerning the armaments business and the Bundeswehr.