Ministry of Defense: The Bundeswehr should considerably strengthen its army reserve | EUROtoday

Status: 05:30 am | Reading time: 2 minutes

IThe Ministry of Defense is planning for a significantly increased Bundeswehr reserve. As in the Cold War, this should be trained and equipped so that it can reinforce or replace the active troops in combat, said Lieutenant General Alexander Hoppe, Deputy Inspector General and Commissioner for Reservist Affairs, to the German Press Agency.

The aim of the military planners is to have up to 60,000 men and women as reservists in a so-called basic order in the future, who are planned and qualified for a fixed task in this status. Hoppe said: “I’m satisfied that we’ve got to adapt the reserve utterly to the present safety coverage challenges in order that it will possibly correctly assist the Bundeswehr in finishing up its job of nationwide and alliance protection.”

The ministry is also examining the number of people who could be called up and suitable for service in the event of a defense (“unordered reservist activity”). This refers to citizens who have served in the Bundeswehr but have not been called up. This group is large, but has been shrinking since conscription was suspended in 2011.

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“There are completely different figures. We assume that there are about 800,000 who can nonetheless be referred to as up beneath army legislation. In precept, that features everybody who has served within the Bundeswehr sooner or later and has left and is throughout the age limits, together with the final technology of conscripts,” mentioned Hoppe.

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An extra downside will come up within the coming a long time: “But if you happen to contemplate the age downside, then you definitely additionally know that the quantity is lowering yearly. It is shrinking yearly. That means we’ve got to counteract this and likewise discover and recruit extra workers for the reserve.”

However, for NATO's revised defense plans, the Bundeswehr, which has shrunk to 181,500 soldiers despite a so-called personnel offensive last year, will have to grow significantly. NATO's plans will mean an increase in the personnel target from the current 203,000 soldiers to “a development of nicely over 272,000” men and women in the armed forces, reports “Spiegel”.

The reserve can solely be one constructing block. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) will clarify his proposal for a mannequin of conscription on Wednesday.