The head of the German army is calling for more than doubling its forces in response to a perceived threat from Russia. The Army Chief said Berlin must be ready to fight a war with Moscow by 2029.
Reuters reports viewing confidential German documents that show Army Chief Alfons Mais wants to add 100,000 new troops to the military. The increase in armed men will more than double the size of the German Army.
“It is imperative for the army to become sufficiently ready for war by 2029 and provide the capabilities Germany pledged (to NATO) by 2035,” he wrote on September 2.
The proposal comes as Berlin is increasing its defense commitments to Eastern European nations. Germany is in the process of establishing a permanent deployment of 5,000 troops in Lithuania.
Additionally, Berlin is planning to increase its surveillance in Poland after about two dozen Russian drones entered Polish airspace.
Berlin has yet to reach its 2018 goal of having 203,000 troops across its military. Earlier this year, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced Berlin was now trying to increase the size of its military to 260,000.
According to further analysis and summary in Modern Diplomacy:
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Germany may need to reintroduce conscription or offer substantial incentives to attract and retain military personnel, amid a competitive labor market.
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Failure to meet troop targets could weaken NATO’s eastern flank and strain alliances, particularly with frontline states like Poland and the Baltics.
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Increased defense spending will be necessary to equip and train new troops, testing Germany’s fiscal priorities and public support for militarization.
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Russia may view Germany’s military buildup as provocative, potentially escalating tensions in Eastern Europe.
Mais went on to say that Germany would also need hundreds of thousands of reservists that can quickly mobilize.
“According to a first rough estimate, a total of around 460,000 personnel (from Germany) will be necessary, divided into some 260,000 active troops and around 200,000 reservists,” he wrote.
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