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Bundeswehr needs construction turbo: new barracks are urgently required!
Germany faces the challenge of expanding the Bundeswehr with new barracks and soldiers for NATO missions.
Bundeswehr needs construction turbo: new barracks are urgently required!
The Bundeswehr faces enormous challenges in increasing its troop strength to a level that meets NATO's requirements. Loud Picture Up to 260,000 soldiers must be made available. Likewise, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants troop numbers to increase to over 203,000 by 2031, while the current number is around 181,000. This speaks volumes about the enormous pressure on the organization.
A large part of the difficulties stem from the fact that many troop accommodation facilities were closed when compulsory military service was suspended in 2011. In recent years, 31 barracks have been closed across Germany, although the remaining locations are often in a more than modest condition. The 2024 military report points out these grievances. “We need a construction turbo for the Bundeswehr,” demands Colonel André Wüstner, head of the Bundeswehr Association. He makes it clear that urgent renovation and the construction of new accommodation are unavoidable.
Need for renovation and the condition of the properties
There are still 275 Bundeswehr locations nationwide, but most of them are dilapidated. “The South Palatinate barracks in Germersheim already has mold and water damage, the renovation could cost over 125 million euros,” reports daily news. Thomas Röwekamp, chairman of the CDU's defense committee, also criticizes the slow approval process. “It has to be faster!” says Röwekamp. In order to make progress with construction, he suggests revising the rights in the federal states.
In order to quickly create more space for soldiers, the introduction of bunk beds in accommodation is being discussed as a short-term solution. However, this could only be a temporary solution while the shortage of suitable properties continues.
Conscription and possible changes
Another hot topic in the discussion is the possible return to compulsory military service. This was suspended in 2011 in order to reduce the Bundeswehr from 255,000 to 185,000 soldiers. But now how Headtopics reported that the reintroduction was specifically examined. Conscription could then be reactivated in the event of a defense, which would require a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag.
In the current coalition agreement, however, compulsory military service is initially excluded, despite the fact that, according to the reservist association, the Bundeswehr is currently understaffed with 20,000 soldiers. This shows how important it is to rethink the service of the weapon and the conditions on the barracks grounds.
Minister Pistorius has a clear vision for the future of the force and the challenges are great. It will be interesting to see how the situation will develop in the coming years and whether the necessary measures can be implemented in time.