NATO plots largest military buildup since Cold War

NATO is preparing to adopt one of its most ambitious military expansion plans since the Cold War, aiming to significantly scale up its defence capabilities in response to growing security threats.

According to reports by DPA, citing sources within the alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation intends to raise its previously established military targets by approximately 30%.

As part of the initiative, NATO plans to significantly increase the number of long-range cruise missiles and drones in its arsenal, while also bolstering air defence systems and artillery. To ensure the targets are met, Germany and other member states will receive updated national planning requirements. These are expected to be formally approved at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday.

In a related development, the German newspaper Handelsblatt, citing sources within security services, reported that the Bundeswehr will need to boost its military personnel by 80,000 in order to meet the new NATO thresholds. This marks a substantial increase in Germany’s military manpower commitments.

The move comes amid growing pressure on NATO countries to raise defence spending. On May 2, Reuters reported that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had proposed that member states allocate 3.5% of their GDP to defence, with an additional 1.5% to be directed toward extra military needs. The proposal is widely seen as an attempt to address demands by US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised European allies for underfunding their defence contributions and has called for NATO members to spend 5% of their GDP on defence. Notably, the United States itself has not yet reached this spending level.

Despite the pressure, US Defence Secretary Pete Hagert has sought to reassure allies that the United States has no current plans to reduce its military presence in Europe.

Meanwhile, air defence remains a central focus of NATO’s new strategic vision. According to Bloomberg, the alliance has requested that its European member states increase the capabilities of their ground-based air defence systems fivefold. The push is seen as an effort to address what NATO officials have described as a critical gap in the alliance’s ability to counter potential Russian aggression. Discussions on air defence are currently being held behind closed doors and are expected to feature prominently during the Brussels defence ministers' meeting on June 5.

Sources told Bloomberg that the fivefold increase in air defence is envisioned as a collective objective for European NATO members, with each country contributing at different levels. No definitive timeline has yet been set for reaching the target.

The Brussels meeting is also expected to lay the groundwork for the NATO summit scheduled for  June 24–25 in The Hague, where leaders are expected to formalise the rearmament agenda and commit to reducing Europe and Canada’s dependence on US defence systems.

By Tamilla Hasanova