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Jürgen Weigt, Strasbourg The foundation of interoperability is mutual confidence Human factors are key
Interview with Lieutenant General Jürgen Weigt, Commanding General EUROCORPS, Strasbourg
The European: General, for six months now you have been the Commanding General of this first multinational European Army Corps, established in 1992 to respond to the new political situation in Europe and to be an instrument for the EU and its Security and Defence Policy. There is no contradiction in your parallel availability for NATO, but what is EUROCORPS’ role or purpose in the “European Defence Action Plan”? Jürgen Weigt: Belonging to five Framework Nations (Germany, France, Belgium, Spain and Luxembourg) and being reinforced with contingents from five other associated Nations (Italy, Poland, Turkey, Romania and Greece) make EUROCORPS the most integrated multinational HQ in Europe. Moreover, the above-mentioned Nations are already positioned as major actors in the defence of Europe.
The European: What does this mean in political and operational terms? Jürgen Weigt: This means that EUROCORPS is in essence a tool of primary interest for these Nations as far as they are in- volved together in future projects connected to the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Considering that NATO is also guaranteeing European security, EUROCORPS’ duality (as an element of the NATO Force Structure on the one hand and as “preferred military tool” for the EU on the other) is an additional important feature for the HQ to become a key stakeholder in a re-invigorated European defence. Looking at the 17 projects linked to PESCO, all those related to the Command & Control structure offer new opportunities for EUROCORPS to be used further in an EU framework. As a permanently ready, fully and autonomously deployable HQ, EUROCORPS could easily and efficiently complement the EU chain of command, thus making it comprehensive and fully operational at any time for C2 large scale operations at strategic distance (up to 5000 km).
The European: The headquarters of EUROCORPS are proof of its operational capabilities through several successful engagements. A contingent was recently engaged in Central Africa. In each mission, your leaders and your troops had to cooperate with other units from Nations all over the world. Is interoperability an essential mechanism for effectiveness on the field?
Lt General Jürgen Weigt has been the Commanding General of Eurocorps since 2017. Born in 1957, he joined the Bundeswehr in 1977. During his military career, he held different assignments as Commander of a tank brigade and head of Department in the Federal MoD. General Weigt participated in the UN mission in Former Yugoslavia as well as in several NATO led missions in Afghanistan. He took over command of the Army Officer School in Dresden in 2011. Subsequentlyhe was Commander of the Leadership Development and Civic Education Centre in Koblenz and was Chief of Staff Resolute Support Mission Afghanistan in Kabul.
Jürgen Weigt: Our multinational culture and our multinational integration facilitate the interaction with and even the aggregation of military units from other Nations. Of course, interoperability is paramount, but it is a broad term that cannot be reduced to a single pre-arranged mechanism. It entails technological aspects, common tactics, technics and procedures but also an appropriate open-mindedness of the involved personnel to establish and operationalise common standards in theatre.
The European: It seems that you don’t like the word “mechanism”. Could you expand on your understanding of interoperability? Jürgen Weigt: As you rightly understood, I do not think that we can reduce interoperability to a mechanism. In such a case, this would mean that efficient interoperability could come only from the fact that people “bureaucratically” and thus artificially stick to pre-established procedures and processes enabled by technology (communication systems or computerised management of the battle field for example). Therefore, sticking to procedures is only one part of interoperability and maybe not the most important one. From my perspective, interoperability is not self-declarable, because a built-up or ad hoc force cannot be fully efficient if it has not been trained before an operation in accordance with the expectable operational features met in theatre. We have to train as we fight; this is somewhat a golden rule.
The European: What does this training encompass? Jürgen Weigt: It encompasses operational processes but also knowledge and mental aspects of personnel such as flexibility, adaptability, reactivity, resilience. These non-material characteristics are paramount pre-requisites for interoperability, acknowledging that technology and procedures cannot solve everything in combat.
The European: When interoperability is a question of culture and leadership combined with technology, shouldn’t we reflect on the different qualities of interoperability? I can imagine that interoperability goes in the direction of integration on the basis of human understanding and clear procedures with the necessary technical support. Jürgen Weigt: As stated above, interoperability or the capacity to operate in an extended multinational context is largely founded on human factors. The mental features I evoked are part of what we call leadership. This is the reason why it is worth developing and improving these aspects on a permanent basis. Finally, for me the real base of interoperability is mutual trust! On the other hand, I do not think that we should differentiate interoperability in accordance with different possible roles or situations for EUROCORPS. We have to develop, enhance and safeguard identical military capabilities and qualities without making any distinction regarding when, where and why an operation led by EUROCORPS can be launched. Therefore, I do not make any difference between “internal” and “external” interoperability.
The European: When EUROCORPS’ HQ and units are working in the field with units from, for example, the Organisation of the African Union or different national forces, where you didn’t have the chance to train together, it is up to your leaders to be innovative and show capabilities to improvise. Is leadership the human factor for interoperability? Do you agree with my considerations? Jürgen Weigt: Coming to innovation and improvisation, I am very prudent with these words. Ideally speaking, a thorough preparation of a given operation should prevent from the need to innovate and above all to improvise in theatre. Improvising can even have a negative connotation. In other terms, it could be assessed that improvisation comes from unpreparedness, misunderstanding and even from a lack of proficiency.
The European: Indeed, forces have to be well prepared to face surprise and unexpectedness. However, what if a situation arises that you did not have the chance to prepare for? Jürgen Weigt: Indeed, this is something else and, in that case, we do not improvise: we adapt and we refine our operational plans to produce the necessary effects to cope with a changing situation. Being able to produce the right decision-making at any time comes from an elevated sense of leadership at each level and this is key. To conclude, improvisation can lead to excessively long-lasting and thus costly operations. And this is one thing that the Nations are normally eager to avoid.
The European: We have heard over the years from diverse sides the unrealistic plea for a “European Army”. Since the decision of the EU Council on the European Action Plan, this request is hopefully buried, allowing realistic ideas. Can you
Young officers are being trained by Eurocorps Instructors during the leadership course in Camp Kassai.
photo: © OR-4 Daniel VERDUGO (EUTM RCA)
54 imagine a group of multinational Army Corps, Air Force Groups and Naval bodies under a common command one day forming a sort of European Force for the European Union, respecting national cultures, traditions, interests and specialties? Jürgen Weigt: I monitor political evolutions regarding security and defence in Europe with specific attention. I notice that there is a renewed eagerness to go one step further towards a common European Defence. PESCO, which was endorsed by 25 EU Member States last December, is a concrete illustration that reinvigorating the European Defence process remains possible. In such a context, my role together with my staff is to develop military analysis considering new political factors. As I men
Jürgen Weigt
tioned above, EUROCORPS can be rapidly and easily integrated in a reinforced EU military chain of command. In broader terms, other military structures already exist all over Europe; their aggregation to constitute a European integrated force is then only a matter of political willingness. We are preparing ourselves to be better employed in an EU framework, but the usage and the deployment for operations stay in the hands of the Nations.
The European: General, during our conservation I have been looking at the Afghan clothing behind your chair, which you brought with you from Afghanistan after one of your numerous stays.* We read every day about cruel terrorist attacks and I want to ask you if it is really worthwhile to promote state-building in Afghanistan, provide the country with high engagement ideas and instruments for a better life for the population with the objective of giving them a chance to design the future of their country? Jürgen Weigt: It goes without saying that after being engaged in Afghanistan for such a long time, it is “under my skin”. In the light of a controversial discussion of Afghanistan as a failed state, prevention measures depend exclusively on internal will and external assistance. Based on personal experience – but I’m not Lawrence of Afghanistan - there is a fair chance to consolidate the majority of the previous warring factions into a single state, build a government capable of accommodating their interests and create a national security force. For me, Afghanistan is neither a failed state nor a dark forgotten country. Afghanistan may well share similarities with other countries and societies, but these elements need to be documented rather than assumed. There will be no quick and easy solution. The prospects of bringing stability to Afghanistan depend on whether these problems can be rectified in a way that the Afghans find acceptable.
The European: General, I fully agree with your elaborations, and am grateful for your openness. I wish you every success and good luck for EUROCORPS!
*During his military career LT General Weigt participated in UN missions in Macedonia (FYROM) as well as in several NATO led missions in Afghanistan (Commander RC North, Mazar-E-Sharif, Deputy DCOS Stability, DEU NSE HQ ISAF, Kabul and Chief of Staff Resolute Support Mission Afghanistan, RS HQ (Kabul).
