German defense minister calls for war readiness by 2029

BERLIN, Germany

Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, on Wednesday said Germany needs to strengthen its armed forces, the Bundeswehr, to operational readiness before the end of the decade.

Pistorius also repeated his belief that some form of military service would be necessary after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine raised concerns about the future security of Europe.

"We must be ready for war by 2029," the defense minister said during a questioning session in Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag.

"We must provide deterrence to prevent it from coming to the worst," he said, adding that finances, materials, and personnel were central to that aim.

"In an emergency, we need strong young women and men who can defend this country." 

Pistorius also said that, for that reason, he believed a "new form of military service" was necessary, that "cannot be completely free of obligations."

Pistorius, a member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left Social Democrats, has charged his ministry with exploring potential models for military conscription.

Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011. About half of German citizens favor reintroducing it, according to a survey by research institute Forsa in March.

Pistorius' comments came as the German Cabinet approved a new concept document for Germany's military and civil defense, setting out the responsibilities of the Bundeswehr, aid organizations, and civil defense authorities in the event of disasters and wars.

The new guidelines replace a predecessor paper from 1989 and now address cyber threats and hybrid warfare.

Also speaking on Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised his government would support the defense industry and urged closer cooperation between producers in Europe. 

"Today, we see more clearly than ever how important it is to have a European and German defense industry that can continuously produce all major types of weapons and the necessary ammunition," he told delegates at the opening of the International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin. 

The chancellor said Germany had "given the industry too much of a wide berth in the past," but this was now over.

"Russia's attack on Ukraine in violation of international law has presented the whole of Germany with a new security policy reality."

At the event, Scholz announced that Germany would buy another 20 Eurofighter jets from Airbus to help bulk up its defenses.

Earlier in the week, the German Defense Ministry announced it would buy two additional frigates on top of four already ordered as a core part of Berlin's "Zeitenwende" (sea change) in defense policy. 

As part of its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Germany is already stationing troops in Lithuania on NATO's eastern flank until a permanent brigade is set up there in 2027.