The Bundeswehr will receive a fourth branch of the armed forces.

As part of structural reform, the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) will receive a fourth branch of the armed forces, which will deal with activities in the cyber and information space, as well as a new operational command, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Thursday.

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“In the future, the Bundeswehr will have one operational command, four branches of the armed forces and a support command,” Pistorius said during a press conference.

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The creation of a unified operational command is due to the need to exercise command and control of the armed forces from a single center.

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As for the types of armed forces, to the traditional three – ground forces, naval forces and air force – a fourth will now be added: forces operating in the cyber and information space. According to Pistorius, the new type of military will deal with hybrid threats: from disinformation campaigns to countering cyber attacks.

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In general, according to the minister, the reform of the organizational structure of the Bundeswehr is designed to ensure the readiness of the German armed forces for emergency situations, including war.