Media: Germany grapples with troop shortage as NATO calls for massive build-up

Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, will need to expand by up to 80,000 additional troops to meet NATO’s new force generation targets.

The significant personnel increase is part of the Alliance’s revised military capacity goals set to be discussed this week at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, with final approval expected at the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24–25, Caliber.Az reports per German media.

“The Bundeswehr must significantly boost its troop numbers to fulfill NATO’s enhanced force structure requirements,” reports said, noting that Germany is being called upon to contribute substantially more to collective defence.

Earlier reports indicated that NATO had requested Germany to provide seven additional brigades—approximately 40,000 troops. However,  when factoring in other support roles and logistical demands, the total personnel increase required from Germany rises to 80,000, to be achieved over the next 15 years.

Currently, the target strength of the Bundeswehr stands at 203,000, but the actual figure has fallen for two consecutive years. As of March 2025, the German military had approximately 182,000 active personnel. Meeting NATO’s proposed target would mean raising troop levels to around 260,000, a considerable leap for a force that has been grappling with recruitment challenges and structural issues.

André Wüstner, head of Germany’s military union, previously warned that depending on outcomes from the NATO summit in The Hague, the Bundeswehr may require between 40,000 and 60,000 more troops beyond the current goal.

Despite calls from some German politicians to reinstate compulsory military service, abolished in 2011, Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed in April that military service will remain voluntary. However, growing doubts remain about whether a voluntary model can meet NATO's demands.

A report in May, citing internal Bundeswehr documents, highlighted the army’s struggles to retain contract soldiers, with nearly 30 per cent leaving within six months due to poor career prospects, long distances from home, and harsh training conditions.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius also acknowledged logistical obstacles, citing a shortage of barracks and the need for comprehensive data collection on potential conscripts before any reintroduction of compulsory service could be considered.

By Vafa Guliyeva