Germany plans to increase the number of troops by 60 thousand

Germany’s Ministry of Defense plans to increase the size of its armed forces by 50-60 thousand troops to meet new NATO defense goals.

This was reported by Reuters with reference to the words of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

As part of this expansion, the number of Bundeswehr troops could reach 250-260 thousand, which would be the largest figure since the Cold War.

However, Germany is currently facing difficulties in achieving even the previous goal of 203,000 troops due to recruitment problems.

NATO’s new targets provide for a significant increase in combat units. In particular, Germany has been asked to provide seven more brigades, which is about 40,000 soldiers.

“We are fulfilling our responsibility as Europe’s largest economy,” Pistorius said.

In this regard, discussions in Germany have once again intensified about a possible return to compulsory military service, which was abolished in 2011. Minister Pistorius does not rule out such a possibility if voluntary recruitment does not provide the required number of personnel.

In addition, Germany has already amended its budget legislation to allow for increased defense spending. The country also supports NATO’s initiative to raise the target for defense spending to 5% of GDP.

Today, the Army has two armored divisions, which include a total of eight brigades. Despite this relatively small number, the Army is facing the problem of fully manning the units.

Thus, some of the battalions are manned by only 30-50% of their authorized strength. As a result, they are being manned by soldiers from other battalions on the basis of unit priority.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported: The Bundeswehr aims to expand to 460,000 soldiers, including regular forces and reservists.

The first territorial defense division was created in March 2025. In peacetime, its tasks include the protection of critical infrastructure, such as ports, railroad facilities, pipelines, roads, bridges, etc.

It also facilitates the redeployment of troops and provides assistance in the event of emergencies and natural disasters. However, if necessary, territorial defense will be involved in countering military threats and deterring potential attackers.

In addition, the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Germany has also spoken out about preparing young people for a possible war with Russia. First of all, it is about training school-age children, during which they should receive basic knowledge about weapons, their types and purpose.