Germany is racing to execute a massive, long-term defence strategy designed to prepare the nation for a potential full-scale conflict with Russia. The core of this plan, known as the Operational Plan Germany or OPLAN DEU, positions the country as NATO’s essential logistics hub, reminiscent of its role during the Cold War era.
A leaked 1,200-page Bundeswehr document reveals the staggering scale of the preparations. The plan involves moving up to 800,000 allied NATO troops and their equipment across German territory to reinforce the Alliance’s eastern flank in the event of an armed conflict.
Drafted roughly two and a half years ago, OPLAN DEU is now being implemented “at full speed,” according to reports. This urgency is fuelled by persistent warnings from German officials that Russia could be ready to attack a NATO member state as early as 2028.
The plan aims for a constitutional, coordinated, and rapid political decision-making process during a crisis. The Bundeswehr document stresses that OPLAN DEU is specifically designed to enhance Germany’s “cold-start capability, warfighting readiness, and resilience” against contemporary security challenges.
The strategy adopts a “holistic approach,” deeply integrating civilian and military functions. While the concept echoes Cold War strategies, it has been modernised to contend with modern vulnerabilities, including ageing national infrastructure, bureaucratic obstacles, and existing personnel shortages.
Indeed, putting the plan into practice presents significant challenges. Reports highlight critical infrastructure issues, such as crumbling bridges, narrow tunnels, and decaying ports, which could easily stall the rapid movement of military hardware. Weak coordination between military and civilian agencies also remains a hurdle.
These friction points were exposed in late September during the “Red Storm Bravo” drill run by the Hamburg State Command. The exercise simulated the arrival of NATO forces moving in an eastward column. A training convoy—intended to move continuously—was significantly delayed by simulated protests, drone activity, and long gaps between vehicles, managing less than ten kilometres in two hours.
The leaked operational plan notes that such exercises highlight how even basic operations—like managing an intersection or defending against a drone—could quickly cause gridlock in a real crisis scenario.
To overcome these logistical and infrastructural challenges, the plan heavily relies on private companies. Defence giant Rheinmetall, for instance, is responsible for providing temporary camps, supplying troops, and installing key infrastructure, including field kitchens and shower stations.
A key concern listed in OPLAN DEU is the threat of sabotage, particularly against vital infrastructure like railways and roads. These attacks are often carried out by “low-level agents,” prompting the plan to call for the extensive use of drones to detect and counter sabotage efforts, protecting key logistical routes.
While drones are considered essential for wartime security and logistics, the plan faces legal, technical, and organisational hurdles regarding their deployment, such as rules preventing them from flying over populated areas.
The existential threat looms large in official discourse. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius recently told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Russia is “rapidly building up arsenals despite the war in Ukraine.”
While the traditional timeline suggested Russia might be ready to strike a NATO country by 2029, the minister acknowledged that military experts and intelligence services are now revising their estimates. “Some suggest it could happen as early as 2028,” Pistorius said, adding that some military historians argue the previous summer may have been “the last one of peace.”
