Germany's Bundeswehr war-gaming finds hospitals could face up to 1,000 wounded troops a day in a Russia-NATO conflict
Germany's Bundeswehr has modeled hospital capacity for a possible war with NATO, finding up to 1,000 wounded soldiers could arrive each day if Russia attacks. The country has only five military hospitals, and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has warned Russia could be ready to strike alliance territory by 2029.
A Bundeswehr report modeling scenarios for a Russian attack on NATO estimates Germany could receive up to 1,000 wounded soldiers a day, quickly overwhelming its five military hospitals and requiring civilian hospitals to provide wartime care by law. Only a few hundred German doctors currently have experience treating combat trauma, and the most intensive training courses can train just 50 to 100 surgeons a year. A Cold War-era bunker beneath a military hospital in Ulm, built in 1979 and able to house up to 2,000 people for 90 days, is being considered for reactivation. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has warned Russia could be capable of attacking NATO territory by 2029, with some analysts suggesting sooner. Germany's Health Security Act, meant to give a real-time view of hospital beds, medicine and war-relevant staff, was expected before parliament this fall.