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Germany’s defense minister revealed plans on Thursday to overhaul the military’s command structure, coinciding with NATO’s 75th anniversary.

Central to the restructuring plan is the establishment of a unified “operational military command.” This streamlined command structure aims to create swift decision-making and reduce redundancies within the current framework, which splits responsibilities between domestic defense and international deployments. Additionally, the revamp will bolster the “cyber and information” department, upgrading it to a principal branch of the military to address the modern battlefield’s digital and informational challenges.

The initiative responds to growing concerns over regional security and the need to make the German military “war-capable.” Chancellor Olaf Scholz had previously signaled a significant uptick in military spending as a reaction to various evolving threats, mainly sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has been at the forefront of these reforms since taking office, emphasizing the need to revamp the Bundeswehr after a period of underinvestment. Pistorius has defended the term of making Germany “war-capable,” saying, “I am convinced it is one of the few words that really describes correctly the imperative here. I respect the fact that others struggle with the word, but I also note that most who do have no problem with the substance behind it.”