Germany expands army, Defense Minister: We need 60,000 additional troops

Germany will need up to 60,000 additional troops under new NATO targets for weapons and personnel, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.

"We are responding to our responsibility as Europe's largest economy," the minister told reporters ahead of a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Brussels.

The new demands are tailored to the alliance's defense plans, thousands of pages of secret documents drawn up for the first time since the end of the Cold War, detailing how allied forces would respond to a Russian attack on NATO.

Translating these plans into the necessary military assets, NATO found major deficiencies in various areas, ranging from large formations of combat-ready ground troops to long-range weapons, sufficient ammunition reserves, and secure communications.

In total, Germany's armed forces will need approximately 50,000 to 60,000 additional active soldiers across all branches of the military, according to Pistorius, which would bring the future strength of German forces to between 250,000 and 260,000 troops.

It was previously reported that NATO will ask Germany to provide seven more military brigades, or about 40,000 troops. Recruiting tens of thousands of additional troops will be a major challenge for Berlin, however, and is likely to spark a new debate about whether military conscription, suspended in 2011, should be reinstated.

The German army has yet to reach the 203,000-strong target set in 2018, and is currently short of around 20,000 regular troops, according to data from the defense ministry.

Pistorius said the government will face the question of whether the voluntary military service it intends to introduce will be enough to fill the ranks of the army.

Happening now...

00:00 crossword

Free scheme December 14

22:30 HAPPENING NOW

Fatal accident in Tirana

22:15 POLITICS

The municipality gave permission to Suel Çela's father to expand the food market, in addition to the socialists, also the "pro" Democratic Party of Elbasan gang

22:12 POLITICS

"I asked for a hunger strike", Kalaja: DP's national protest delayed!

21:55 POLITICS

DP will not appeal the People's Advocate to the Constitutional Court, Berisha: Let Rama enjoy it

21:41 POLITICS

"You asked for my signature for Shaban", Salianji responds to Himçi's accusations: You are being ridiculous and they consciously forced you to say it

21:36 POLITICS

"We clashed over the generator", Lapaj recounts the fight with the police outside the Prime Minister's Office

21:29 POLITICS

"The judge was not in the US, but in the campaign. Take away the word 'liar'!" Salijanj's clash with Berisha is revealed

21:13 POLITICS

Hysen Kadiu responds to Berisha: During the May 11 campaign, I worked for the DP, not for Rama! Stagnant water needs refreshing

21:04 POLITICS

'Signatures for Shaban are wrong', Agron Gjekmarkaj submits his resignation as vice president of the DP, but Berisha does not accept it!

20:55 POLITICS

''Suel Çela has blackmailed...''/ The Salianji-Noka debate on the presidency is revealed, the Elbasan MP intervenes

20:35 POLITICS

Debates within the Presidency meeting, Salianji is surrounded by journalists, Sali Berisha silently leaves the headquarters

20:29 POLITICS

"We'll take you by car for 100 thousand euros", Bislim Ahmetaj "slaps" Noka in the eye: Salianji came with a baseball bat... Flamur, come out, can you gather people?

20:26 POLITICS

Agron Gjekmarkaj resigns as vice president of the Democratic Party!

Want to read more news