The Bundeswehr is in serious crisis with aging and severely under-equipped and under-manned

Although Germany is one of the world’s largest arms exporters, its armed forces are facing a crisis in equipment and personnel.

Eva Högl, the Bundestag defense commissioner for the German armed forces, warned of the deteriorating state of the army and the deterioration of its weapons, pointing to a shortage of equipment and soldiers.

On Tuesday, Högl presented a report highlighting the challenges facing the German army (Bundeswehr), including outdated equipment and a shortage of fighters.

The number of soldiers has fallen to 181,174 this year, 340 fewer than in 2023, putting Germany far from achieving its goal of recruiting 203,000 soldiers by 2031, with the average age increasing to 34, according to the report.

Högl stressed the need to take urgent steps to improve the situation, including increasing recruitment, obtaining better equipment, and adequate barracks.

She stressed that her demands weren’t just wishes but a call for help, warning that the army was shrinking and aging at a rapid pace.

However, she stressed that there has been some progress, with applications to join the military up 18.5% in 2024, an 8% increase in hiring, and continuing commitments up 25% from last year.

Although the German army’s aging and deteriorating equipment is nothing new, this problem has become more prominent after the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The shift in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policy prompted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to announce a 100 billion fund to modernize weapons and support a more assertive defense policy.

The need to develop the German military has also become more urgent in light of recent calls to strengthen European military capabilities, especially after the massive impact of the cessation of US support for Ukraine became clear.

During the European summit in London, European Commission President von der Leyen called for the European Union to urgently rearm and increase defense spending to meet new geopolitical challenges.

She said the EU needed a boom in military spending commensurate with the current security situation, stressing the need for the bloc to be more prepared to confront potential threats.

Earlier, Markus Süd, leader of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, called for the German army to be further armed in response to the international security situation.

Although Germany is one of the world’s largest arms exporters, this isn’t clearly reflected in the state of its army.

German media reports have revealed that some of the military equipment that Berlin was sending to Kyiv was broken.

In addition to outdated equipment, the army suffers from weak recruitment and challenges in providing basic supplies to soldiers, such as not having enough mobile housing units or protective vests in the required number.