Increasing incidents of cyberattacks on its military has prompted the German government to launch Cyber and Information Space Command which will be a separate cyber unit and the sixth major wing of the military, reports Reuters. This unit will be based in Bonn and headed by Lieutenant General Ludwig Leinhos.

The country’s military has been a prime target of allegedly Russian hackers with a reported 284,000 would-be attacks registered in the initial nine weeks this year. December 2016 saw an increase in malicious cyber activities on German political parties.

According to a ministry spokesperson, "The expansion of cyber capabilities is an essential contribution to the government's overall security posture, and offers additional opportunities for preventing conflicts and dealing with crises to include hybrid threats."

The cyber command will be launched next week with an initial staff of 260 which is expected to grow to 14,500 by 2021.

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