In April, the Division Schnelle Kräfte (DSK) conducted another reconnaissance in Senegal. The aim was to prepare the exercise Fast Eagle 2026 in West Africa to strengthen National Risk and Crisis Management. The so-called National Risk and Crisis Management (NatRKM) is a central mandate of the federal government and the German Armed Forces, serving the protection of German citizens abroad. It includes precautionary measures and handling of crisis situations in which German citizens are in danger, and, if necessary, also military evacuation operations.
The planning and execution are closely coordinated between several ministries, led by the Foreign Office. NatRKM is typically operationally directed by the Bundeswehr’s Operational Command (OpFüKdoBw). For deployments, specialized forces of the Bundeswehr are brought in with Airborne Brigade 1; in situations where a hostage-rescue is necessary, for example, the Special Forces Command (KSK) is also involved. In the past, military evacuation operations included Kabul in 2021 or Sudan from April 2023 onward.
In Senegal, the Bundeswehr is preparing with the upcoming large-scale exercise Fast Eagle 2026 for situations that hopefully never occur. It is about how, under difficult conditions, people can be extracted from a suddenly insecure situation—quickly and in an orderly manner. With Senegal, this exercise is taking place for the first time on the African continent, for the first time abroad, and for the first time with a real distance from the home bases.
Different terrain, different climate, different language
The straight-line distance between Germany and Senegal is about 5,000 kilometers. A direct flight from Germany to Senegal (the capital Dakar) typically takes about six to seven hours, while connections with a layover take about ten to thirteen hours. These are real conditions for such potential deployments. The distance to Senegal is not the only challenge during the exercise.
Added to this are the unknown terrain, the challenging climatic conditions, the language, and much more. In addition to these rather practical challenges, there will be additional ones, including unstable neighboring countries, as well as attempts by Russia and China to exert direct or indirect influence, which have long been established as influential forces across Africa. Therefore, measures of Psychological Operations (PSYOP) and disinformation are to be expected as part of the exercise.
Therefore, it will be important to also be prepared for these eventualities. This includes very close cooperation with Senegal, probably the only stable country in West Africa. German engagement should culminate in a long-term partnership with Senegal, even though within the scope of the Fast Eagle 2026 exercise it is only a temporary stay.
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