Latest news with #Bundeswehr
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
German military chief defends planned high military expenditure
German Armed Forces Chief Inspector Carsten Breuer has justified the significantly increasing defence expenditure for Germany. The discussed spending amounting to 3.5% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) is not unfounded, the highest-ranking soldier of the Bundeswehr told the news magazine Der Spiegel in remarks published on Friday. "It is clearly derived from a significant threat posed by Russia. We must arm ourselves against this danger, both as the Bundeswehr and as a NATO member," Breuer said. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be deterred by a percentage figure, Breuer further stated. It is about growing capabilities, reasonable equipment, "combat-ready units and soldiers" who could be alerted at any time. "To be able to achieve this, the target of well over 3% is very realistic," Breuer said. Combat readiness means for the armed forces that they are ready for deployment in terms of materiel and personnel, he explained. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently stated that the federal government agrees with the target presented by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP and to provide an additional 1.5% for militarily necessary infrastructure. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius mentioned a period of five to seven years in which the 3.5% could be achieved. "We must become the engine of deterrence in Europe," said Breuer. He defended his warning that Russia could be ready by 2029 to turn against NATO states as well.
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First Post
21 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Germany may need 260,000 troops, far exceeding current target of 203,000 amid Nato demands, says top military unionist
Germany will need as many as 260,000 active-duty soldiers to meet Nato's increasing defence demands, significantly more than the government's current target of 203,000, according to a report, citing the head of the country's military union read more German soldiers march at a formal inauguration of a German brigade for Nato's eastern flank in Vilnius. AP File Germany will need as many as 260,000 active-duty soldiers to meet Nato's increasing defence demands, significantly more than the government's current target of 203,000, according to a Politico report, citing the head of the country's military union. That target was originally established in 2016, well before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Nato's subsequent shift toward strengthening defence capabilities. Since then, the Bundeswehr has faced persistent challenges in expanding its ranks and currently has around 181,500 troops. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The number of 203,000 is outdated and no longer realistic,' Politico quoted André Wüstner, chairman of the Bundeswehr Association, an influential interest group that advocates for better equipment, staffing and working conditions within the German armed forces, as saying in an interview with German media group RND published on Friday. 'I assume that, depending on what is decided at the Nato summit, we will need an additional 40,000 to 60,000 soldiers,' he said, adding, 'That means the active force would need to gradually grow to as many as 260,000 troops.' Nato leaders are scheduled to meet in The Hague on June 24–25 for a summit where raising the alliance's defence spending target will be a key topic of discussion. Wüstner's warning comes as the German government prepares to launch a new voluntary military service programme aimed at tackling the Bundeswehr's persistent personnel shortfall. Under the plan, all 18-year-old men will be asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their willingness and suitability for military service, while women may choose to participate voluntarily. The initiative aims to recruit approximately 5,000 volunteers annually, reported Politico. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stressed that the programme is 'initially voluntary,' but signaled that more decisive measures could be considered in the future. 'I say this quite deliberately and honestly: The emphasis is also on 'initially,' in case we cannot recruit enough volunteers,' Politico quoted Pistorius as telling lawmakers in the Bundestag earlier this month. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We still have too few people for what our armed forces must accomplish,' he added. Germany suspended conscription in 2011. A return of the draft would mark a significant political shift. With inputs from agencies
Spectator
2 days ago
- Business
- Spectator
Germany's Bundeswehr bears no resemblance to an actual army
Confusion abounded this week when the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Ukraine could use western missiles to hit targets deep within Russia. 'There are no more range limitations for weapons delivered to Ukraine. Neither from the Brits, nor the French, nor from us. Not from the Americans either,' he said. The problem was twofold. Firstly, that is not the official policy of western allies. Secondly, Germany has not provided Ukraine with any long-range missiles. Partly that is a political choice by Germany, but there is also the fact of the inherent weakness of the Bundeswehr itself. Merz's new government has recognised the limited nature of his military, vowing to build 'the strongest conventional army in Europe'. For that to happen, the Bundeswehr will need more than money. It needs to know what it is and what it's fighting for. Is Germany – still deeply scarred by its Nazi past – ready to build a military ethos fit for the 21st century? Independent thinking has never been a priority for the Bundeswehr general staff. Rock-solid trust in US leadership was part of its very foundations. With those foundations eroding, Merz is trying to build his own as quickly as possible. He has promised to spend 5 per cent of GDP on the military and related infrastructure; this amounts to some €200 billion, four times what Britain spends on defence in any given year. There is an irony in this promised military expansion: it's the result of Donald Trump's demands that Nato allies meet their obligations under the treaty. Even when it comes to greater German self-reliance, it seems that Washington is still calling the shots.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-NATO to ask Berlin for seven more brigades under new targets, sources say
By Sabine Siebold BERLIN (Reuters) - NATO will ask Germany to provide seven more brigades, or some 40,000 troops, for the alliance's defence, three sources told Reuters, under new targets for weapons and troop numbers that its members' defence ministers are set to agree on next week. The alliance is dramatically increasing its military capability targets as it views Russia as a much greater threat since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Exact figures for NATO's targets - either overall or country by country - are hard to verify as the information is highly classified. One senior military official who, like the other sources spoke on condition of anonymity, said the target for the total number of brigades that NATO allies would have to provide in future will be raised to between 120 and 130. This would mean a hike of some 50% from the current target of around 80 brigades, the source said. A government source put the target at 130 brigades for all of NATO. Neither the German defence ministry nor NATO responded immediately to requests for comment. In 2021, Germany agreed to provide 10 brigades - units usually comprising around 5,000 troops - for NATO by 2030. It currently has eight brigades and is building up a ninth in Lithuania to be ready from 2027. Providing a further 40,000 active troops will be a big challenge for Berlin, however. The Bundeswehr has not yet met a target of 203,000 troops set in 2018, and is currently short-staffed by some 20,000 regular troops, according to defence ministry data. Last year, Reuters reported that NATO would need 35 to 50 extra brigades to fully realise its new plans to defend against an attack from Russia and that Germany alone would have to quadruple its air defence capabilities. Furthermore, the new NATO targets do not yet reflect any provisions for a drawdown of U.S. troops in Europe, sources said, the prospect of which has rattled Europeans due to NATO's defence plans that rely heavily on U.S. assets. Washington has said it will start discussing its reduction plans with allies later this year. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has told Europeans that the United States can no longer be primarily focused on European security. During the Cold War, Germany maintained 500,000 troops and 800,000 reserve forces. Today, alongside Poland, it is tasked by NATO with providing the bulk of ground forces that would be first responders to any Russian attack on the alliance's eastern flank. SPENDING INCREASE NATO members have massively increased defence spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and have been urged to go further by Trump, who has threatened not to defend countries lagging behind on defence spending. At a summit in The Hague next month, the alliance's head Mark Rutte will seek an agreement from national leaders to more than double their current spending target from 2% of GDP to 5% - with 3.5% for defence and 1.5% for more broadly defined security-related spending. In a historic shift, Germany recently loosened its constitutional debt brake so that it can raise defence spending, and it has backed Rutte's 5% target. German Chief of Defence Carsten Breuer has ordered his country's forces to be fully equipped by 2029, by which time the alliance expects Moscow to have reconstituted its military forces sufficiently to attack NATO territory.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Exclusive: NATO to ask Berlin for seven more brigades under new targets, sources say
BERLIN, May 28 (Reuters) - NATO will ask Germany to provide seven more brigades, or some 40,000 troops, for the alliance's defence, three sources told Reuters, under new targets for weapons and troop numbers that its members' defence ministers are set to agree on next week. The alliance is dramatically increasing its military capability targets as it views Russia as a much greater threat since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Exact figures for NATO's targets - either overall or country by country - are hard to verify as the information is highly classified. One senior military official who, like the other sources spoke on condition of anonymity, said the target for the total number of brigades that NATO allies would have to provide in future will be raised to between 120 and 130. This would mean a hike of some 50% from the current target of around 80 brigades, the source said. A government source put the target at 130 brigades for all of NATO. Neither the German defence ministry nor NATO responded immediately to requests for comment. In 2021, Germany agreed to provide 10 brigades - units usually comprising around 5,000 troops - for NATO by 2030. It currently has eight brigades and is building up a ninth in Lithuania to be ready from 2027. Providing a further 40,000 active troops will be a big challenge for Berlin, however. The Bundeswehr has not yet met a target of 203,000 troops set in 2018, and is currently short-staffed by some 20,000 regular troops, according to defence ministry data. Last year, Reuters reported that NATO would need 35 to 50 extra brigades to fully realise its new plans to defend against an attack from Russia and that Germany alone would have to quadruple its air defence capabilities. Furthermore, the new NATO targets do not yet reflect any provisions for a drawdown of U.S. troops in Europe, sources said, the prospect of which has rattled Europeans due to NATO's defence plans that rely heavily on U.S. assets. Washington has said it will start discussing its reduction plans with allies later this year. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has told Europeans that the United States can no longer be primarily focused on European security. During the Cold War, Germany maintained 500,000 troops and 800,000 reserve forces. Today, alongside Poland, it is tasked by NATO with providing the bulk of ground forces that would be first responders to any Russian attack on the alliance's eastern flank. NATO members have massively increased defence spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and have been urged to go further by Trump, who has threatened not to defend countries lagging behind on defence spending. At a summit in The Hague next month, the alliance's head Mark Rutte will seek an agreement from national leaders to more than double their current spending target from 2% of GDP to 5% - with 3.5% for defence and 1.5% for more broadly defined security-related spending. In a historic shift, Germany recently loosened its constitutional debt brake so that it can raise defence spending, and it has backed Rutte's 5% target. German Chief of Defence Carsten Breuer has ordered his country's forces to be fully equipped by 2029, by which time the alliance expects Moscow to have reconstituted its military forces sufficiently to attack NATO territory.
