The Bundeswehr has for the first time officially adopted a national military strategy, citing a sharply deteriorated international security environment. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the strategy is “rarely as necessary as it is in this historic period,” pointing to Russia’s war in Ukraine and mounting pressure on the international legal order.
The strategy names Russia as “the greatest and most immediate threat for the foreseeable future” to Germany and transatlantic security and warns that Russia is preparing the conditions for a military attack on NATO territory. Detailed analyses of possible responses — including scenarios such as a Russian attack on NATO land — are part of the document but remain classified, Pistorius noted.
The strategy reaffirms existing targets to expand the Bundeswehr to 460,000 soldiers by the mid-2030s, including 200,000 reservists. The stated aim is to develop the Bundeswehr into Europe’s strongest conventional army, with the fastest possible growth by 2029 to bolster defense readiness. Meeting NATO’s heightened demands and recruiting sufficient personnel are acknowledged as major challenges.
Thanks to intensified recruitment efforts the force is growing slowly: by the end of March 2026 the Bundeswehr had around 185,400 active-duty soldiers, about 3,300 more than a year earlier. At the start of the year the government introduced a new military service plan combining incentives and compulsory elements — including mandatory military screening for all young men — intended to increase voluntary enlistment. If recruitment targets cannot be met, conscription (suspended in 2011) could be reinstated, though State Secretary Nils Hilmer said this is not currently on the agenda.
Alongside the strategy, Pistorius presented related policy documents. A capability profile identifies essential capabilities for national defense, deterrence and alliance responsibilities. A reserve strategy sets out plans to build some 200,000 ready reservists by 2033, tasked mainly with homeland security and logistics and intended to serve as a bridge between the military and civil society. The substantive details of both documents are largely classified.
To address internal inefficiencies, the ministry unveiled a debureaucratization and modernization plan featuring some 153 measures and 580 concrete implementation steps to reduce excessive regulations and paperwork. Among reforms, internal rules will carry fixed expiration dates so unnecessary regulations are automatically removed, and a “Bundeswehr Wallet” digital system will hold members’ important personal documents.
The new approach frames these documents as “living” rather than fixed multi-year plans, allowing continual adaptation to a shifting strategic environment. Pistorius emphasized a shift away from a traditional silo mentality toward greater flexibility and a different organizational mindset.
The strategy drew mixed political reactions. Ulrich Thoden, defense spokesperson for the Left Party, described the strategy as “logical and necessary” given Russia’s aggression but warned against Germany striving to become a major military power.
This article was originally written in German.