Germany launches joint intelligence hub to counter hybrid threats

Germany on Tuesday opened a new joint intelligence center in Berlin to improve coordination among security agencies and strengthen its response to hybrid threats.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said at the inauguration that the Joint Defense Center against Hybrid Threats will be housed at the domestic intelligence agency BfV and will boost the country’s ability to detect, analyze and counter such risks.

“Germany is not at war, yet we are a daily target of hybrid warfare,” Dobrindt said. “Hybrid threats constitute the shadow wars of the 21st century. Our freedom, our democracy and our prosperity are under attack almost every day.”

The minister noted that Germany has faced a rising number of hybrid operations by foreign powers in recent years, including disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and acts of sabotage.The goal of these efforts, he said, is to unsettle the population, erode trust in democratic institutions, fuel polarization and destabilize the country.

"Our goal is not to create a new security agency; but build a network connecting all those already active in the security realm,” he said, adding that the new unit would focus on spotting early warning signs, conducting in-depth analyses and planning countermeasures.

“We want early detection rather than crisis management. We want resilience rather than risk. We will achieve this precisely through this joint defense center,” he said.

Dobrindt also announced that the government would soon draft legislation to further expand the powers of Germany’s intelligence agencies, enabling them to counter hybrid threats more effectively.