“Peace Through Strength” – How the Luftwaffe Is Preparing for High-Intensity Operations
Europe’s security environment has become more confrontational, dynamic and unpredictable.
For Germany, this reality places the Air Force at the heart of national and collective defence, with responsibility for credible deterrence, integrated air and missile defence, and the ability to plan, lead and sustain high-intensity operations within NATO.
In this interview, Lieutenant General Holger Neumann, Chief of the German Air Force, explains how the Luftwaffe is adapting its capabilities, structures and mindset to meet these demands, why integration and speed are decisive factors, and what it means to prepare for conflict in an alliance framework.
How has the security environment in Europe changed in recent years – and what does that mean concretely for your Air Force?
From my perspective, Europe’s security environment has become significantly more confrontational, dynamic and, in some aspects, less predictable.
For our Air Force, this means very concretely that we must be able at all times to plan and conduct high-intensity operations for national and collective defence – no longer as a theoretical scenario, but in response to a real threat.
Credible deterrence through defensive and offensive capabilities, rapid responsiveness and resilient sustainability are now clearly at the centre of our adaptation efforts.
“Europe’s security environment has become more confrontational – and this requires real readiness for high-intensity operations.”
Which three modernisation priorities of your air force system up to 2030 would you consider the most important?
First, the introduction and integration of fifth-generation combat aircraft capabilities, particularly with regard to networking, sensor systems and command and control.
Second, integrated air and missile defence – multi-layered, networked and embedded within the alliance.
Third, the targeted further development of our command structures in order to conduct air and space operations from a single source.
You assumed command of the Air Force during a period of high expectations linked to the “Zeitenwende”. What was your most important focus in strategically realigning the Luftwaffe?
My most important focus is to ensure our core mission: achieving and maintaining air superiority and preserving the military usability of space.
The Air Force was and remains highly capable. What is decisive is implementing our plans regarding structures, command and capability development in order to prevail under real threat conditions.
This includes clarity in leadership, speed in implementation and reliability towards the force and our alliance partners.
What matters to me is that this strategic alignment is a continuous process and never complete. We are aligning ourselves to a possible conflict of tomorrow, not that of yesterday.
“Peace must be secured through strength – and through preparedness.”
What role does regional cooperation within the DACH region play for you personally – and where do you see the greatest added value?
Cooperation with our partners in Austria and Switzerland is, for me, an excellent example of lived neighbourhood relations in security policy terms.
The greatest added value lies in close integration in training, exercises and air defence.
We no longer think in national airspaces, but in shared areas of responsibility.
Trust, short lines of communication and a common mindset make this cooperation particularly valuable and effective.
“We no longer think in national airspaces, but in shared areas of responsibility.”
How do you balance cutting-edge technology, limited resources and personnel requirements?
Today, the limiting resource is no longer primarily the defence budget, but the time available.
There is a significant need to catch up in order to close existing capability gaps. At the same time, threats are developing far more quickly than traditional planning and procurement cycles can keep pace with.
That is why we focus much more consistently on prioritisation, acceleration and pragmatic solutions: decisive capabilities must be available in time.
At the same time, we ensure that people do not fall behind technology – because modern systems only unfold their full effect and combat power with well-trained and highly motivated personnel.
“Credible deterrence depends on integration, speed and resilient forces.”
How does the next generation of threats – drones, long-range weapons and the cyber domain – change thinking and training in your Air Force?
These threats force us to think and act in a more networked, faster and cross-domain manner.
Training today no longer means merely mastering a single system, but above all developing a comprehensive understanding of complex interactions between air, space, cyber, land and sea.
We therefore train in an even more mission-oriented way overall – with a focus on decision-making under time pressure and high information density.
Germany’s role within NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence is growing. What priorities do you set to bring capabilities, personnel and allies together effectively?
My priority is integration – technically, organisationally and in terms of personnel.
Integrated Air and Missile Defence consists more than anything else of time-critical processes and only works if sensors, effectors, command and control, and personnel interact seamlessly and are interoperable within the alliance.
That is why we invest equally in systems, training and multinational procedures – and in the trust of our partners.
In modernisation processes, technical capabilities often emerge before personnel capacities. How do you ensure that both grow in sync?
By not understanding introduction as a purely armaments-related project, but as organisational development.
Personnel recruitment, training and structural decisions are closely coordinated from the very beginning when introducing new capabilities.
Synchronous growth is demanding and complex – but without it, we risk capabilities existing on paper without being effectively employable.
The introduction of a dedicated “space” career path alongside the build-up of space capabilities, or the early start of training on the F-35A combat aircraft and the CH-47F transport helicopter even before the first systems arrive in Germany, are good examples of this approach.
Germany is a central hub for air operations in Europe. Which capability or structure would you most urgently strengthen in the short term?
Germany is the logistical and operational hub for air operations in Europe.
In the short term, we therefore primarily need to strengthen our ability to receive, protect, command and seamlessly integrate large contingents of allied air forces into ongoing operations.
The major exercise Air Defender 27 will be another key milestone in this regard.
Looking ten years ahead: which capability or transformation should retrospectively be associated with your term of office?
That during this time, the Air Force has proven itself as a reliable partner and a strong pillar of credible deterrence.
The goal is to secure peace through strength – and at the same time to be prepared and capable of defence should deterrence not be sufficient.
I would like it to be said that during this period, we succeeded in consistently aligning the Air Force towards national and collective defence – materially, organisationally and in terms of personnel.
That we not only introduced new systems, but shaped integrated air and space forces capable of deterring aggressors and, within the alliance, reliably leading, protecting and fighting.
Together with our partners, we will train exactly that: complex, large-scale air operations – fast, synchronised, sustainable and conducted jointly within the alliance.
Interview: Katerina Urbanova
Photo credit: German Air Force
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