Germany's Bundeswehr struggles with promotion delays, ageing soldiers, and equipment shortages Report by parliamentary special commissioner

A recent report released by Germany's parliamentary special commissioner on the state of the country’s armed forces has highlighted significant challenges facing the Bundeswehr, including personnel shortages and the neglect of its material and technical infrastructure.

The report, published by Spiegel, outlines critical issues in the Bundeswehr's preparedness, per Caliber.Az.

Parliamentary special commissioner Eva Högl noted that the military is far from meeting its goal of increasing personnel to more than 200,000 by 2031. As of the end of 2024, the German armed forces had just over 180,000 soldiers — down from the previous year. The average age of German contract soldiers has also increased, rising from 32.4 years in 2019 to 34 years.

Högl emphasized the problem of career progression within the military, pointing out that many soldiers face unnecessary delays in promotions, despite meeting the criteria for advancement. This issue is primarily due to staffing shortages, which prevent the military from offering promotion opportunities for qualified personnel.

To address the staffing crisis and the ageing of the military, Högl is calling for renewed discussions on reinstating conscription. According to a proposal by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, from 2026 onward, all 18-year-old males would be required to fill out questionnaires assessing their suitability and interest in military service, with selection based on those responses. Service for females would remain voluntary.

The report also detailed significant issues with the military's infrastructure, including the poor condition of accommodation facilities for personnel. Shortages of ammunition, spare parts, and fully functional equipment were also identified, though there was no shortage of individual protective gear, such as body armour and helmets.

To address the urgent need to modernize the Bundeswehr's ageing infrastructure, an estimated 67 billion euros would be required.

Additionally, on March 4, the German political parties CDU/CSU and SPD, which are negotiating a government led by Friedrich Merz, agreed on a multibillion-euro financing package aimed at upgrading defence and infrastructure. This package will allow defence spending exceeding 1% of GDP to be exempt from debt restrictions.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called this development a “historic day” for both the Bundeswehr and the country.

By Tamilla Hasanova