Germany Establishes Hybrid Defense Center to Address "Shadow Warfare"

According to a report by Reference News on June 22, the Spanish newspaper ABC reported on June 17 that on May 30, an unidentified drone forced Munich Airport to temporarily shut down for several hours. The airport is under the jurisdiction of the Bavarian local administration, which does not have military authority. Such hybrid security incidents pose a severe challenge to Germany's existing national governance system. Cyberattacks are also rampant; this year, the President of the German Bundestag and several party members have consecutively faced cyber harassment.

To address these new types of security threats, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently inaugurated a brand new hybrid defense center.

According to reports, this institution, named the "Joint Center for Countering Hybrid Threats," has the core function of coordinating responsibilities, integrating resources, and conducting detection, assessment, and countermeasures against various hostile actions aimed at deliberately undermining Germany's national security and stability by foreign forces.

The center has the authority to coordinate federal agencies at all levels, state security forces, federal police, intelligence agencies, and the cybersecurity agency, streamlining multi-party collaboration mechanisms to avoid inter-departmental responsibility shifting and functional overlap issues.

The German Ministry of Defense and the Bundeswehr are also deeply involved. This multi-party participation format facilitates unified assessment and handling of various hybrid security emergencies from a national security defense perspective, covering scenarios such as drone disturbances, irregular immigration waves, cyberattacks, and damage to critical infrastructure.

Dobrindt admitted that Germany faces various hybrid security threats year-round, and these methods can be described as "shadow warfare of the 21st century." "We must capture signs immediately, organize situation assessment reports, conduct in-depth analysis, and quickly formulate response measures; this work is crucial."

Reports indicate that an internal document from the German Ministry of Defense shows that Russia is "possibly" increasing covert strikes against Germany's critical infrastructure. Berlin believes that such offensives may be a precursor to large-scale conflict. (Translated by Han Chao)