German air defence shortfall: Learning from Ukraine's tactics
The German portal Hartpunkt has highlighted the country's significant shortage of air defense systems. Analysts from Defence Express suggest that a possible solution could be to learn from the Ukrainians' experiences in their war with Russia.
According to the German government's long-term plans, the Bundeswehr will eventually have 29 "large" air defense systems in the coming years. Hartpunkt noted that although this number may seem ample, in practice, it won't be sufficient to protect 80 large cities and 11 main military bases across Germany in the event of a nationwide threat.
Germany lacks air defense systems
Currently, the German army operates eight batteries of American Patriot air defense systems (there were more, but some were sold or transferred to Ukraine). This weapon provides protection against various threats, including ballistic missiles, which most other solutions cannot handle. The Patriots are supplemented by IRIS-T systems, although some of these systems take considerably longer to deploy than initially expected.
An equally significant issue is the current state of the Bundeswehr's lowest-tier air defense. Most of the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft units were sent to Ukraine, and the introduction of their successor—the mobile Skyranger 30 anti-aircraft systems—is still a future prospect.
The Bundeswehr is unprepared for modern threats
Analysts from Defence Express stress that to use the limited number of air defense systems effectively, optimal deployment planning and regular ammunition replenishment are essential.
They also emphasize that the greatest threat in modern armed conflict is long-range kamikaze drones. Intercepting such targets with "large" anti-aircraft systems is impractical, so these should be reserved for targets like cruise and ballistic missiles. Against drones, as Ukrainian experiences demonstrate, it is more effective to use not only the lowest-tier anti-aircraft weapons but also unconventional methods, including mobile fire groups with machine guns or even helicopters and fighter jets, to intercept drones like the Shahed.
Interestingly, Ukrainian soldiers often cite the Gepard anti-aircraft guns, donated by Germany, as the most effective and cost-efficient weapon against Russian drones. These guns use two 35 mm cannons with a rate of fire of 550 rounds per minute, allowing them to engage targets at a distance of up to 2-3 miles.
