The chairman of the German Reservists Association, Patrick Sensburg, has called for the reinstatement of tank road signs on bridges across Germany, arguing that their absence could hinder military mobility in a crisis.
Speaking to Rheinische Post, Sensburg said it’s currently unclear which bridges are suitable for armored vehicles in an emergency. “If the planned route needs to be changed, the military could face difficulties and become an easy target,” he warned.
During the Cold War, yellow signs marked bridges and roads that could support the weight of tanks across West Germany. However, since 2009, the Ministry of Defense has no longer required such signage, leading to its gradual removal.
The Bundeswehr has pushed back against the need to reinstall the signs, asserting that all necessary routes are already mapped, including alternate paths for transporting equipment during natural disasters. Sensburg, however, contends that relying solely on preplanned routes poses a strategic risk.
His comments follow an earlier statement on April 4, where Sensburg stressed the need for a significant expansion of Germany’s reserve forces. “We need a mass army to withstand a potential war,” he declared, estimating that 1 million reservists would be necessary for national defense — nearly three times the 300,000 to 350,000 regular troops experts consider essential for full-scale defense operations.
