Germany will upgrade its army to make it fit for war.
This was announced by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on April 4.
The German Ministry of Defense emphasized that "since Russia has questioned the European peace order, a special threat has arisen for Germany and its allies."
"The situation with threats to Europe has intensified. And in connection with this, we face challenges. In particular, reforming our Bundeswehr so that it is optimally positioned, especially in the defense situation," Pistorius said at a press conference, as quoted by Spiegel.
A single operational central command will be created, which will combine the functions of its two predecessors — the command of foreign troops and the command of troops on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Also, the structure of the German Armed Forces will consist of four types of troops instead of the current three — the traditional army, navy, aviation, as well as a new unit that will operate in the cyber and information space. The cyber unit will be responsible for electronic warfare, cyber operations, intelligence and information infrastructure protection.
In addition, Germanyʼs army will now include an internal security force, while the air force will monitor the health of its aircraft, a function previously carried out by the Ministry of Defense.
As Politico points out, there are currently 181 000 servicemen in the German Armed Forces, and by 2031 it is planned to increase the number to 203,000.
- Against the background of Russiaʼs protracted war against Ukraine and the risks of a direct conflict between China and Taiwan, calls to prepare for a large-scale military confrontation are increasingly heard in Europe. In January 2024, the head of the NATO Military Committee called on the West to prepare for an all-out war with Russia.
- The US will deploy nuclear weapons in Great Britain for the first time in 15 years due to the growing threat from Russia.