When in past years, and that certainly is not that long ago and still happens on this globe, the Armed Forces of ones country were structured and equipped to satisfy the prestige of the country but also to top the capabilities of ones enemy, whether needed or not, than we find this way of planning nowadays misleading, uneconomic and inefficient. Modern Armed Forces are planned after a substantial estimate of ones country's security situation, after consideration of alliances and pacts and after ones economic status in respect to the purchase of the required inventory. The keynote is, you don't have to afford it all by yourself anymore, if you have reliable friends, who complement your own capabilities.

The name of the game is "Tailoring". To do so you need to consider the thread to your country, your enemy's capabilities, not only his equipment, your enemy's intent, the strength and willingness of your own people to defend themselves, your own financial capabilities, and the partners you can relight on, and their capabilities, to name only some areas to be covered. Tailoring is not a one time act, but a continuous process. Tailoring is adapting your Armed Forces to deter but also to act, if deterrence failed. Tailoring is to use your county's means economically, to get the most for your penny. And Tailoring is to secure your rights, your values and your believes.

The German Armed Forces have been tailored various times since their reestablishment after WW II. The confrontation between Communism and Democracy , cumulating in Europe in the confrontation between NATO and Warsaw Pact, made Tailoring still demanding but not that complicated. Structure and capabilities of the opponent were well known, as well as his intent. The most plausible cause of action, should a armed conflict develop, could be predicted, which made it the basis, the Tailoring of forces was founded on. In the early days of NATO the force structure was built around a massive nuclear strike, later also to be pre-emptive. Adaptive Tailoring was needed when the conventional forces of NATO, thus also those of Germany, were called upon, because the nuclear inventory of both pacts insured a nuclear response of either side and had the capability to destroy live on earth many times over. Massive tank forces, armoured infantry, and high mobility were needed. Air Forces were asked for, to achieve at least regional airsuperiority but also to support the land campaign and to allow for rapid troop movements within NATO, especially also across the Atlantic. Naval forces had to secure the logistic lanes across the Atlantic, but also to land reinforcements in Europe. Germany responded in Tailoring her forces accordingly. It did, however, not establish a national command and control structure for independent combat operations but only for logistic support. Combat operations were anticipated only within the framework of NATO. Consequently the Armed Forces were readied for rapid transfer under NATO's command and control. One of the main issues of Tailoring, if not the most important, was "Deterrence". The structure, equipment, capability and resolve of NATO Forces were to send a message across the line of conflict. The message was clear :" don't even try, you will get a bloody nose"......... and it was understood, as history proves.

After that, the act of Tailoring became a increasingly demanding business. Following the predictability of the potential thread, the late 80th brought the first signs of asymmetry in the anticipated thread scenario. The hostile intent against the western "capitalistic" world came not any more from standing Armed Forces in a predictable Area of Conflict, but from unconventional formations , often with fanatic religious believes, everywhere, but also in the heard of the, until than, considered secure areas. Madrid, London and New York became suddenly targets, which insinuated the insecurity of other similar "Safe Heavens". Simultaneously the decline of the Sovjet Union and Communism as a regional order, allowed old differences to break out again, leading to the ethnic cleansings in former Yugoslavia. The fast reaction of the UN, NATO and EU prevented the worst, but also showed the amount of Tailoring required to cope with situation like that. Germany realized the need for a national command structure for strictly national operations, such as the evacuation of the German embassy in Tirana, as well as for Armed Forces with the capability for Rapid Deployment and Sustainability in world wide areas of operation, within any kind of coalition, including NGOs, and for nearly any kind of task, including rebuilding and re-establishing communities. In addition, the country had to compensate for rapidly climbing cost for up to state defence technology, and the general demand for financial savings to consolidate the household. The subsequent Tailoring concentrated in structure, equipment and intent on ready and capable expeditionary formations to be deployable up from a "smallest deployable operational element" . The big Tank Army had to go as well as all nice to have items. Also suscription was suggested to be suspended, since conscripts could not be readied for the new demanding task. The available forces had to be in a high percentage trained and equipped to battle a unconventional and asymmetric Threat, anytime and everywhere world wide, following the principle to carry the fight to the enemy, before he carries it to you. The latest defence technology, as for operations as for force protection, was to be available to these forces, allowing them to rest and recuperate when possible, but fight decisively when necessary, while simultaneously denying the enemy to do the same through intelligence.

This step in Tailoring the German Armed Forces is presently in a stage just prior final decision. There is no doubt, that the German Parliament will approve the rather radical measures, since any other solution would render the German ambition, to share the burden amongst the partners, to fight terrorism world wide, meaningless and without the necessary tools. But even with the pending decisions of the German Parliament, Tailoring goes on, because pert of it is planning a foreseeable future. This is no witch craft but intellectually high quality estimation , based on solid intelligence, knowledge of the opponent, and the ability to anticipate and predict the unpredictable.

The question was : What makes you ready for Defence ? The answer is : Tailoring !