Bundeswehr needs 60,000 soldiers - red in BW!
Bundeswehr needs 60,000 soldiers - red in BW!
In the debate about the future of the Bundeswehr and possible reforms to increase personnel, there is movement. On June 15, 2025, politicians and experts discuss the need to not only increase troop strength, but also to deal with the question of compulsory military service. The Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) made it clear that the Bundeswehr should grow to over 203,000 soldiers by 2031. Currently there are only about 181,000, which is below the desired should. This can be seen from a report by SWR
Pistorius announces the need of up to 60,000 additional soldiers. At the same time, however, he emphasizes that the discussion about compulsory military service is of little use at the moment because capacity to accommodate the soldiers is lacking. In Baden-Württemberg, over 18,000 people are currently working on Bundeswehr units, and there are 161 properties, including barracks, practice sites and a Bundeswehr hospital. This is also reported by the Tagesschau .
space problems and structural challenges
The high load of the barracks in Baden-Württemberg means that the everyday life of the soldiers is severely affected. Soldiers over 25 years in particular often feel tightly narrowed in their parlors, as the annual report 2024 of the military officer Eva Högl shows. High rents in the area force many to live in hotels, which in turn could affect the operational readiness.
With regard to the infrastructure, the Bundeswehr plans to use existing buildings more intensively and even to reintroduce double -decker beds. A modular infrastructure approach is intended to help accommodate the required additional soldiers. From 2025 to 2031, 2.6 billion euros are planned for construction projects in Baden-Württemberg, including the expansion of the Graf Zeppelin barracks in Althengstett, which will cost around 200 million euros.compulsory military service vs. voluntariness
The debate about the reintroduction of military service has also started on speed. While the Union calls for a mandatory service year for men and women, the SPD relies on a voluntary military service concept. This leads to different views within the coalition. According to Deutschlandfunk there is no more than 100,000 soldiers to be defensive by 2029.
However, political scientists warn that the introduction of a mandatory service could be problematic in the current social mood. Pistorius's proposal stipulates that all Germans receive a kind of questionnaire for military service; This would be voluntary for women. However, critics require better framework conditions for voluntary service to win more interested. In summary, it can be said that the Bundeswehr faces major challenges. Apart from the urgent shortage of staff, the infrastructure must also be brought up to scratch in order to optimize the daily processes. The coming years could be decisive for the development of the German armed forces.| Details | |
|---|---|
| Ort | Althengstett, Deutschland |
| Quellen | |
Kommentare (0)