Armed Forces Base Press and Information Center
Sonthofen
How strong is the threat from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons? And how well are we prepared for it? Answers to these and other questions are provided by Colonel Stephan Saalow, commander of the NBC Defense Command on “Nachgefrage”, the interview format on the Bundeswehr’s YouTube channel.
Colonel Saalow is the head of the more than 3,000 NBC defense specialists who belong to the armed forces base. The men and women are highly recognized internationally and have leading skills in their fields, even compared to other NATO partners.
After the end of the Cold War, the world without nuclear weapons seemed within reach and the time of major conflicts finally over. At the time, the NBC defense force seemed like a superfluous relic. As specialists against dangers that we never have to face. The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine changed this abruptly. In an interview, Saalow answers the most pressing questions about current NBC weapons and future threats. He warns: “Yes, we should be worried!” However, the Bundeswehr is conceptually excellently prepared. Nevertheless, it should be noted that his area has too little of everything.
The NBC defense forces belong – like the other military capabilities of the armed forces base – to the support forces of the Bundeswehr. They enable the army, air force and navy to fulfill their missions. According to Saalow, however, his forces would have to react to the consequences of the turning point “with limited material and limited personnel”. Of course, this also includes the threat of Russian nuclear weapons.
The Bundeswehr supports the Ukraine extensively in its defense against the Russian full-scale invasion. To this end, Germany is providing material and training Ukrainian forces. This includes devices to counteract nuclear, biological and chemical threats. Saalov emphasizes how quickly the Ukrainian soldiers adapted to this material and how well they worked with it.
And it doesn’t stop with nuclear threats. In Ukraine, industrial plants have also become the target of Russian attacks. The deliberate release of toxic chemicals, such as chlorine, represents a whole new dimension in NBC threats.
Link to the interview “Ask-A nuclear threat from Russia?”:
Find out more about the NBC defense mission:
https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/streitkraeftebasis/auftrag/abc-abwehr
Press contact:
Bundeswehr NBC Defense Command
Press and public relations
Phone: +49 (0)7251 / 938 2020
[email protected]
Original content from: Armed Forces Base Press and Information Center, transmitted by news aktuell
