Germany highlights AI and uncrewed systems in mistakenly released naval force structure plans
The German Navy ship Brandenburg participates in Exercise Steadfast Defender 2021. (Photo: US DoD)
On March 5, the German Armed Forces published and later deleted a ‘Force Structure Goals 2035+’ on its website, offering glimpses into Berlin’s naval planning.
In a now-deleted web post, the Bundeswehr detailed how the German Navy must prepare for future conflicts, describing the shape of its fleet and a need for large numbers of uncrewed systems.
The Bundeswehr wrote: ‘The navy must become fit for the future of naval warfare. It requires a large number of unmanned systems and requires artificial intelligence, in particular for situational awareness and analysis.
‘In order for this to become a reality, two things are important: 1. The path to the future of the naval forces must be sustainably financed. 2. It is already important to test the use
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