The Bundeswehr, together with its NATO allies, is developing a scheme for transferring German troops to the eastern flank of Europe in the event of a military conflict between the bloc and Russia within the framework of the "Operational Plan Germany" (OPLAN DEU).
Der Spiegel writes about it.
The plan provides for the transfer of up to 800,000 soldiers and over 200,000 units of various equipment across Germany within 3-6 months. The key road from west to east will be the A2 motorway, which goes from the city of Oberhausen to the ring road of Berlin.
The Bundeswehr, the state authorities and the federal government are working on the safety of this route, and are also studying the possibilities of the civil infrastructure to receive and maintain such a large number of vehicles and troops in the event of possible problems with the road.
The publication says that there are challenges for the Bundeswehr — there are bottlenecks on the routes, such as the Hohenwarte Bridge over the Elbe north of Magdeburg. The destruction of this bridge or a missile attack could completely paralyze traffic on the A2.
As Deutsche Welle writes, Germany began developing an operational defense plan as early as March 2023 against the background of Russiaʼs war against Ukraine. This strategic document on several hundred pages prescribes the actions of the troops and authorities in the event of war.
In June of this year, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that Germany should be ready for defense by 2029 in case of an attack by the Russian Federation. He noted that Russiaʼs military economy is already working on preparations for the next major conflict. The minister emphasized the need to increase the defense budget and mentioned the possibility of a partial return of the general military conscription.