German army approaches big firms for NATO logistics aid, Handelsblatt daily says

FILE PHOTO: Soldiers and military vehicles of the 37th Panzergrenadier Brigade "Free State of Saxony" of the German Army Bundeswehr, intended for the 'Very High Readiness Joint Task Force' (VJTF) of the 'NATO Response Force' (NRF), are ferried across the Elbe river using the Amphibian M3 floating bridge, during the 'Wettiner Schwert' exercise near Storkau, Germany April 2, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/ File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German army has asked several large firms about whether they could provide logistics support if the country needs to deploy soldiers and equipment to NATO's eastern border during a crisis, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Germany - a logistical hub due to its central location in Europe - has committed to contributing 35,000 soldiers and over 200 aircraft and ships within 30 days of any major conflict as part of NATO's new model to address growing threats, particularly from Russia.