Germany will agree on military service model in time for 2026, says Defence Minister
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius' plan for a new voluntary military service has met with resistance from some lawmakers.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
BERLIN - Germany’s Defence Minister is confident its fractious ruling coalition can agree on a new model of military service in time for it to come into effect in 2026 as planned, given security concerns over Russia, he told Reuters on Nov 1.
The Cabinet has already agreed
The plan still requires approval by the German Parliament, however, and it has met with resistance from lawmakers within Mr Pistorius’ own party, the Social Democrats, and some of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives.
“Everyone is aware of the seriousness of the situation,” Mr Pistorius said. “I am therefore confident that the law will come into force at the beginning of the year.”
More troops to meet Nato targets, bolster defences
Mr Pistorius in October rejected one compromise, which had put forward the idea of a conscription lottery for young men if voluntary recruitment falls short. That proposal also called for scrapping a universal medical evaluation of young men’s ability for service.
But the arbitrary nature of a lottery could frustrate younger generations, he said, and result in recruiting candidates who are not motivated.
“We must convince the younger generation with arguments instead of frustrating them,” Mr Pistorius said. “We must make it clear to them that it is worthwhile to have a strong army that is a deterrent to states like Russia.”
Universal medical examinations, meanwhile, are necessary, he said, so that in the event of an attack, Germany would not waste time determining “who is operationally capable as a homeland protector and who is not”.
Germany ended its previous compulsory military service programme in 2011 and has since struggled to meet troop targets.
Mr Pistorius wants to increase the number of active soldiers from 180,000 currently to 260,000 by the early 2030s to meet new Nato force targets and strengthen Germany’s defences – part of a planned surge in military spending.
‘Kamikaze drones’: Crucial tech on Ukraine’s battlefields
Separately, Mr Pistorius said Germany aims to finish testing the loitering munitions – so-called “kamikaze” single-use drones – of three companies by the end of 2025 before choosing one and submitting an order proposal to Parliament.
The procurement of loitering munitions has been controversial in Germany, with some politicians associating the weapons with targeted extrajudicial killings by US forces in Afghanistan.
But the army is now rushing to catch up and arm itself with the technology, which has proven crucial in the war in Ukraine and is being used by both Russian and Ukrainian forces.
“At present, three companies are participating in this testing phase,” Mr Pistorius told Reuters.
“It will last until the end of the year.”
The Financial Times reported earlier this week that Germany planned to award a contract for kamikaze drones to defence start-ups Helsing and Stark as well as defence giant Rheinmetall.
They would each receive a share of the contract, worth close to €300 million (S$450 million) each, it said.
Mr Pistorius, however, said no agreement had been reached yet. REUTERS
