bundeswehr

Germany is undertaking its most significant military overhaul in decades, aiming to build Europe's strongest army by 2029. This ambitious plan, spurred by global security shifts, involves expanding forces, enhancing multi-domain capabilities by 2035, and transforming into a tech-advanced military by 2039. Early successes include increased artillery shell production.

Germany admits significant shortcomings in drone defense following recent Russian incursions, prompting urgent action. The bundeswehr is acquiring new anti-drone systems and armed drones, learning from Ukraine's experience. Reforms are also planned to streamline responsibilities between military and police, alongside rapid procurement strategies for evolving drone technology.

Germany's last troops left Afghanistan Tuesday after a nearly 20-year deployment in the country, the defense minister said. Defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer tweeted that the last bundeswehr soldiers ``left Afghanistan safely'' Tuesday evening. She thanked the more than 150,000 troops who have served there since 2001 and said that ``they can be proud of this mission.''

A recent study by the bundeswehr Center reveals that less than 1% of German soldiers hold consistent right-wing extremist views, contrasting with higher rates in the general population. While the report offers some relief amid past scandals involving far-right networks within the military, it also identifies problematic chauvinistic and xenophobic attitudes among soldiers.

Germany's defense minister admits the nation is "really behind" in drone defense following recent airspace incursions. Key issues include equipment shortages, like delayed anti-aircraft tanks, and fragmented military-police responsibilities. In response, Germany is amending laws to empower its military and rapidly acquiring armed drones, including kamikaze types, drawing lessons from Ukraine.

"Despite the remarkable efforts, substantial improvements in personnel, equipment, and infrastructure are still a long way off in the second year of the 'Zeitenwende'," Commissioner Eva Högl said, citing an annual report, and using the German word for the plan, which loosely translates to "turning point." Högl said the military had "too little of everything."

Proposal to allow foreign citizens, including Europeans from countries outside the EU, to serve in the German army, bundeswehr. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius suggested the idea to combat personnel shortage. Senior German lawmaker, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, supports the proposal and envisions opening the German army to candidates from across the continent, including the UK and Switzerland.

Germany aims to bolster its military, the bundeswehr, in response to Russian threats and NATO commitments. The government approved a plan to increase active soldiers to 260,000 and reservists to 200,000 by the early 2030s. While military service remains voluntary, men will be required to complete a questionnaire at 18, with medical examinations becoming obligatory.

GERMANY-DEFENCE/Germany needs 75,000 extra troops as NATO braces for Russia threat, reports Spiegel

German authorities said Friday they had arrested a 27-year-old Syrian man who allegedly planned an Islamist-motivated attack on army soldiers using machetes. With the machetes, he planned to "attack bundeswehr soldiers" in the city of Hof in northern Bavaria during their lunch break, aiming "to kill as many of them as possible", prosecutors said.

Authorities in a German town lifted restrictions after fearing sabotage of the water supply, but advised residents to boil water as a precaution. A fence hole at a water storage site in Mechernich prompted initial concern, but tests ruled out contamination. Security patrols increased due to a similar incident at a Cologne military base.

Germany grapples with drone threats after Munich Airport disruptions. A debate rages within the ruling CDU/CSU bloc over whether regional states or the federal government should lead drone defense. Crucially, German law prevents the military from shooting down drones domestically, limiting police response capabilities and sparking calls for constitutional review.

Germany and Norway are pitching their standardised submarine project to Canada, hoping for an order of up to 12 units. This collaboration aims to bolster North Atlantic naval cooperation amid rising Russian threats. Canada is also exploring a broader strategic and economic partnership, including rare earth elements and energy exports, while considering a competing submarine offer from South Korea.

Germany's Bundestag debated a bill to modernise its military, initially focusing on voluntary service but with future mandatory components under consideration. Defense minister Pistorius emphasised the need for a robust military in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The proposal aims to significantly increase troop numbers by 2035, but faces internal debate and public scrutiny.

Germany's new foreign minister announced the nation's commitment to invest 5% of its GDP in defense, fulfilling a demand from the US President and signaling a historic shift in security policy. This move follows Chancellor Merz's ambition to build Europe's strongest conventional army, prompting significant increases in defense spending and modernization of the bundeswehr.

Several regional German police forces have been caught up in far-right scandals in recent months, and a unit of the country's elite KSK commando force was dissolved in July over neo-Nazi allegations.

The German government has issued a travel warning urging its citizens not to travel to Israel, the Palestinian territories, or Lebanon due to the recent escalation of violence following the Hamas attacks. This is the highest level of travel warning issued by the German government.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned Thursday that Russia threatened security in Europe, during a visit to Lithuania to mark the formation of his country's first permanent overseas military unit since World War II. "There is a threat to us all from Russia," Merz said at a press conference in Vilnius. Stationing a military unit abroad permanently is unprecedented in the post-war history of the bundeswehr, as the German armed forces are known.

MALI-UN/GERMANY (PICTURE):Germany wants surveillance airships for U.N. mission in Mali

Berlin is considering buying a missile defence system from Israel or the United States to defend against threats including Russian Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, German weekly Welt Am Sonntag reported on Saturday. The Iskander missiles can reach almost all of western Europe and there is no missile shield in place to protect against this threat.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who arrived a bit early, was left waiting in the hot sun at the door of the bundeswehr’s Airbus A350 for nearly 30 minutes. Eventually, Sultan al-Muraichai, Qatar’s minister of state for foreign affairs, arrived to welcome the German head of state. As per a DW report, this diplomatic hiccup led to speculation about whether it was a simple scheduling error or a sign of strained relations between Qatar and Germany. The incident occurred against the backdrop of Germany's view of Qatar's controversial role in the Israel-Hamas conflict.