Germany requires an additional 75,000 troops to meet its NATO obligations as the organization prepares for the threat posed by Russia.
Germany requires an additional 75,000 troops to meet its NATO obligations as the organization prepares for the threat posed by Russia.
According to Spiegel magazine, Germany would require at least 75,000 more troops to meet its NATO obligations as the alliance modifies its defense strategy to confront what it perceives as an increasingly hostile Russia.
The first significant defense plans since the end of the Cold War, which outlined how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack, were approved by NATO leaders at their Vilnius summit last year.
The action marked a significant change since NATO had been fighting smaller wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and was confident that post-Soviet Russia no longer constituted an existential threat, therefore it had not felt the need to develop such preparations for decades.
The German military’s senior brass believes that a Russian invasion might occur as early as 2029. NATO and national military planners have been hard at work turning the plans into tangible requirements, identifying shortfalls of personnel, weapons, and other equipment needed to defend against such an attack.
Spiegel used private documents to support his claim that the Bundeswehr will require an additional 75,000 personnel to staff the additional allied corps, divisions, and brigades required to carry out the defense plans.
Remarks could not be obtained immediately from the German Ministry of Defense.
The Bundeswehr currently employs 80,000 civilians and 180,000 soldiers, falling short of its goal of 200,000 soldiers.
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