Germany has 3 years to prepare military for Russian attack

German Leopard tanks roll past during a military parade | File photo: German Armed Forces

Germany’s military has a three-year deadline to acquire the necessary equipment to defend NATO territory against a potential Russian attack, the head of military procurement announced Saturday.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, defence spending has surged in Germany, fueled further by US pressure on NATO allies to increase their commitments.

“By 2028, everything needed to be fully prepared to defend the country must be procured,” said Annette Lehnigk-Emden, head of the Federal Office for Military Procurement, in an interview with Tagesspiegel.

Germany’s chief of defence, General Carsten Breuer, warned recently that Russia could launch a large-scale assault on NATO as early as 2029, pointing to a buildup of tanks and ammunition aimed at NATO’s Baltic states.

Lehnigk-Emden credited Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government with providing hundreds of billions of euros for military modernization. Priority will be given to heavy equipment like the Skyranger anti-aircraft systems.

Merz has made rearmament a central goal of his coalition, aiming to build Germany’s forces into the most powerful conventional army in Europe. This process began under the previous administration after the Ukraine war began.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have pushed NATO members to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, up from the current 2%.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Germany will need to recruit 50,000 to 60,000 new soldiers to meet NATO obligations. The army currently has over 180,000 personnel and aims to exceed 203,000 by 2031.

Germany is also accelerating plans to create shelters for civilians in case of conflict. Ralph Tiesler, president of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, said authorities are identifying tunnels, subway stations, and other underground spaces to convert into bunkers.

“We plan to create one million shelter places as quickly as possible,” Tiesler told Süddeutsche Zeitung, with a detailed plan expected this summer.