German state prepares Deutsche Bahn and Lufthansa for war

War plans by the German Federal Ministry of Defence foresee a broader use of civilian logistics companies such as Deutsche Bahn or Lufthansa for transporting supplies to the front, training soldiers, and maintaining military equipment.

This information was published by the newspaper Handelsblatt. According to this, in the event of a war with Russia, the transport of NATO soldiers to the eastern front by Lufthansa aircraft is on the agenda.

It is stated that Lufthansa, which has been involved in the training of German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) transport pilots since the 1960s, could also undertake the training of fighter jet pilots in the future.

Furthermore, the company Lufthansa Technik Defense will transform into a defence company by undertaking the maintenance and repair of the Bundeswehr’s fighter jets, helicopters, and maritime patrol aircraft in the future.

German Railways (Deutsche Bahn), on the other hand, has committed to providing flat wagons for the transport of tanks upon request. According to reports, German Railways is also in talks with the German Armed Forces regarding the conversion of ICE wagons into sleeping cars for the transport of the wounded.

The Bundeswehr always officially utilizes civilian logistics companies for the transport of military equipment, as well as personnel transport.

The Operational Command Command confirmed to the newspaper Handelsblatt that “outside of crisis areas,” this is “almost entirely” the case.

Even in crisis areas, private companies carry out a “significant portion” of German military transport. For this purpose, the Bundeswehr has signed numerous transport framework agreements.

For example, contracts have been signed with Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Schenker, a long-standing subsidiary of DB which has now been taken over by the Danish logistics company DSV, as well as with DHL, Hermes, and Kühne & Nagel.

Among the most important contractors in road transport is Transa, a subsidiary of DB Cargo in Offenbach.

According to the Operational Command Command, the Bundeswehr is 100% dependent on civilian companies for the sea and air transport of oversized and heavy materials. For air transport, it uses wide-body aircraft belonging to Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, which depart from Halle/Leipzig airport.

For strategic sea transport, a cooperation agreement has been signed with Denmark’s DFDS Seaways. Under this agreement, DFDS Seaways must provide three RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) vessels within 15 to 30 days if required.

In land transport, the central role in the transport of military equipment belongs to the DB company. DB holds a 24.9% stake in BwFuhrparkService, a service provider for the Bundeswehr.

DB, which is currently transporting heavy military equipment for troops stationed in Lithuania, coordinates the planning and execution of rail transport 100% together with its subsidiary DB Cargo, according to information provided by a Bundeswehr officer.

Logistics experts argue that the German railway system is in very poor condition and that sufficient transport capacity cannot be provided in a war situation.

Considering this situation, a large part of the 500 billion euro special fund will be used for the renovation of the railway network. The CDU/CSU and SPD coalition agreement prioritizes the expansion of railways eastward, towards Poland and the Czech Republic.

DB Cargo committed to providing 343 flat wagons in the short term for the transport of tanks in 2023. Furthermore, the conversion of container wagons into flat wagons is also planned if needed.

According to reports, the Bundeswehr is also in talks with DB regarding the conversion of ICE wagons into sleeping cars for the transport of the wounded.

The Bundeswehr is making extensive plans to expand cooperation with Lufthansa. These plans are not limited to transport projects.

Observers note that Lufthansa played a role in the evacuation of thousands of people from Afghanistan in August 2021: While Bundeswehr transport aircraft took the evacuees from Kabul to Tashkent in Uzbekistan, Lufthansa undertook their transport from there to Germany. The German airline reportedly earned approximately 5 million euros for a total of 17 Lufthansa charter flights.

However, in a war situation, Lufthansa’s aircraft will not be needed solely for evacuation. It is also on the agenda for the airline, which is still officially civilian, to conduct flights to transport thousands, or even tens of thousands, of soldiers from Germany and possibly other NATO countries to a new eastern front should conflicts break out.

Whether there are enough pilots and other crew members available is also uncertain, and theoretically, they cannot be assigned to wartime duties.

According to some insider information obtained by Handelsblatt, there are some pilots with a background in the air force who might volunteer, but it remains uncertain whether this will be sufficient.

Beyond this, the issue of expanding military training provided by Lufthansa has also come up.

This is not new in principle. Since 1963, there has been cooperation between the German Armed Forces and the Lufthansa Civil Aviation School in Bremen, and military transport aircraft pilots are also trained at this school.

Lufthansa Aviation Training also trains German armed forces transport pilots in Phoenix, US, and in simulators near Munich airport.

The airline also began training German Armed Forces drone pilots in 2012; these pilots must first undergo normal pilot training to acquire general aviation knowledge.

Currently, it is being discussed whether Lufthansa will also enter the basic training of air force fighter jet pilots. The company’s CEO, Carsten Spohr, announced in March that “very interesting and positive discussions” had taken place on this matter in recent months.

Handelsblatt states that if this happens, fighter jet pilots will receive their basic training at Lufthansa; only “certification and military pilot training” will be carried out by the Air Force, and in this case, the Air Force’s burden will be significantly reduced.

Finally, Lufthansa is trying to get new orders from the Bundeswehr for its technical division. It has been undertaking the Bundeswehr’s flight services for over 60 years and specifically carries out maintenance and repair work.

The company management had decided to get more involved in military business in 2019. This plan gained further momentum with the federal government’s initial allocation of a 100 billion euro special fund.

To benefit from these and future military expenditures, Lufthansa Technik established a subsidiary named “Defense”. This entity is conducting talks with the German Armed Forces regarding potential orders for the maintenance and repair of the US F-35 fighter jet and the Boeing Chinook CH-47 transport helicopter. Both aircraft will be purchased by the German Armed Forces.

In addition, Lufthansa aims to win the maintenance and repair tender for the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to be delivered to the German Navy. It is stated that the aircraft is based on the civilian short and medium-range Boeing 737, for which Lufthansa Technik has extensive maintenance experience.

Furthermore, Boeing also transferred the maintenance and repair of the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft supplied by the New Zealand Armed Forces to the German consortium at the end of 2022.

Therefore, Lufthansa wants to enter the military business not only nationally but also internationally.