French Army Chief Complains: Even Terrorists Are Better Armed Than European Soldiers

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Written by Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher

German and French military leaders have expressed doubts about the European Union’s ability to defend itself in a modern conflict, especially with the massive use of drones, given that even some terrorist groups have advanced further in this sector than the bloc, reported the British newspaper The Times. This revelation comes as Ukraine continues to lose territory under the Russian military advance, which it cannot halt, and the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump is developing plans to resolve the conflict.

General Alfons Mais, head of the German army, warned that the European “way of life” was in danger. According to him, the security price that European citizens will have to pay is much higher than the current costs.

“It’s our task to convey the message that the threat is real,” Mais said.

With his comment, the German army chief referred to the expectation that Trump will cut US spending on European defence, handing over the responsibility for maintaining it to European countries themselves.

It is recalled that during his first term in the White House, the president-elect lambasted European NATO members for not spending enough on their defence and sponging off the US for their security before threatening to not make good on the Atlantic Alliance’s mutual defence clause if spending was not increased. This caused a lot of controversy in Europe.

For his part, the French Army’s Chief of Staff, Pierre Schill, expressed concern about new military technologies being increasingly developed outside Europe.

“What we have before our eyes now is that technological capabilities [mean] some enemies that are less rich than we are are overtaking us,” he complained before specifically highlighting how terrorist groups have acquired drone and cyber capabilities that can threaten Western forces.

Mais also said that the West is trying to catch up with some actors in other parts of the world who are already far ahead in this regard, acknowledging that the German military overlooked the experience of using drones by Azerbaijan when they captured much of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian forces in 2020 and by ISIS in Iraq in 2016. He added that the German military was attempting to catch up on new types of warfare, such as the use of drones, which have rapidly developed during the Ukraine conflict, especially in favour of Russian forces.

“We missed this development a little bit,” Mais said. “I think we failed more or less altogether to draw the right conclusions. And now we need time to close the gap.”

Closing this gap will be extremely difficult, considering the many deficiencies in the German military. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that at a recent Hamburg Chamber of Commerce meeting, a German officer provided concrete suggestions to company representatives based on various conflict scenarios.

“Seventy percent of all trucks on Germany’s roads are driven by Eastern Europeans. If there’s a war there, where will these people be?” he reportedly said. He also suggested: “For every 100 employees, train at least five additional truck drivers that you don’t need.”

The meetings are part of the Operations Plan Germany, a 1,000-page classified strategy document detailing plans to prepare companies in various sectors, as well as civilian organizations, for possible crisis and conflict scenarios, according to Die Welt. The document reportedly lists buildings and infrastructure facilities deemed crucial for military purposes and outlines response plans for crisis and conflict situations, including potential war with Russia in Eastern Europe.

According to NATO’s defence plans, in the event of a conflict in Eastern Europe, Germany would serve as a hub for tens of thousands of NATO soldiers who would need to be transported eastward, along with military equipment, food, and medicine. However, becoming such a hub puts Germany at great risk. Military experts warn that if infrastructure is used for military purposes, the risk of cyberattacks and sabotage rises significantly, potentially impacting German industries and companies.

Since the launch of the Russian military operation in February 2022, NATO countries have significantly raised their military spending—including Germany, historically a laggard. Neighbouring countries of Russia, specifically Poland and the Baltics, are increasing their spending to four percent of their GDP. In 2014, only three NATO member states reached the two percent pledge, but now 23 states are hitting the target.

Although European countries, including Germany, are investing heavily in their military, they are beginning from a position of weakness and deindustrialization, which is why even some terrorist outfits have more advanced capabilities in specific sectors, such as drone warfare. If Germany and other European countries lag behind jihadist non-state actors, it can only be imagined how far behind they are from Russia and China.

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