Tag: NATO

Germany activates first permanent military formation abroad since Second World War
| The German 45 Armoured Brigade stationed in Lithuania includes a multinational combat unit in addition to tank and mechanised infantry battalions.

by DPA • May 22, 2025

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks at the roll call of Panzerbrigade 45, with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda (2nd R) and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (R) sitting behind him | Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa

The German military has stationed a permanent presence abroad for the first time since the Second World War with the activation of a new brigade in Lithuania that will number 5,000 and with headquarters near the Belarusian border.

by DPA • May 21, 2025

German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius gives a statement at the EU Defence Ministers' Meeting in Brussels | Photo: Ansgar Haase/dpa

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius outlined a plan for Germany to increase military expenditure as a ratio of gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.2 percentage points per year over a period of seven years.

by Saurabh Joshi • May 18, 2025

British Defence Minister John Healey and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in Berlin on May 15, 2025 | Photo: UK Ministry of Defence

The proposed 2,000+ km range deep precision weapon planned to be fielded in the 2030s could fill a capability gap uncovered by the death of the INF Treaty between Russia and the U.S., which barred land-based intermediate range missiles.

by Saurabh Joshi • March 12, 2025

The U.S. and Ukrainian delegations at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 11, 2025 | Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Ukraine has agreed to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia in exchange for resumption of suspended military aid and intelligence after talks between the two countries in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

by Saurabh Joshi • December 6, 2024

Opening remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels | Photo: NATO

As NATO races to supply Ukraine before Trump takes office, Europe is struggling to touch two percent of its GDP on defence expenditure while Russia plans to spend more than 32 percent of its national budget on its military.

by Saurabh Joshi • November 25, 2024

Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighters, assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, conduct flight training operations over the Utah Test and Training Range on February 14, 2018 | Photo: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Andrew Lee

Romania has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for 32 F-35A aircraft that are expected to cost around $6.4 billion. Romania already operates the Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter and has become the 20th member of the club of F-35 operator countries.

by Saurabh Joshi • November 22, 2024

The German flag waves on a TPz Fuchs Armoured Personnel Carrier during Exercise Dynamic Front 25 on Grafenwöhr Training Area, Bavaria, Germany, on November 17, 2024. Dynamic Front takes place from Nov. 4 to 24 in Finland, Estonia, Germany, Poland, and Romania, and demonstrates NATO’s ability to share fire mission target information and operational graphics from the Arctic to the Black Sea. Dynamic Front includes more than 1,800 U.S. and 3,700 multi-national service members from 28 Allied and partner nations | Photo: U.S. Army/Sgt. Chandler Coats

The strategy paper that is said to be an evolving, ‘living document,’ includes ‘detailed plans’ for eventualities that range from defending Germany to deterring Russian manoeuvres on NATO’s eastern flank and anticipates that Germany might have to become a ‘hub for tens or hundreds of thousands of troops’ that have to be transported east, besides logistics for war materiel.

by DPA • November 19, 2024

German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius during a visit to OCCAR-EA, the European Organization for Joint Armaments Co-operation (OCCAR) on November 15, 2024 at North Rhine-Westphalia, Bonn | Photo: Thomas Banneyer/dpa

Damage to submarine communication cables between new NATO members Finland and Sweden and their alliance partners Germany and Lithuania was likely sabotage, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday. “No one believes that these cables were cut by mistake,” Pistorius said in Brussels at an EU defence ministers meeting to discuss the different threats facing the European Union.

by DPA • November 12, 2024

A NATO flag is seen on April 30, 2024, at the Oberlausitz military training area Saxony, Weisskeisel | File Photo: Robert Michael/dpa

An analysis of the military capabilities of the Western alliance and Russia “leaves no doubt about NATO’s overall military superiority.” Only in terms of nuclear weapons do the two sides have parity, concluded the study’s authors.

by DPA • November 12, 2024

Bundeswehr soldiers taking part in the NATO exercise Quadriga 24 wait for the Federal Chancellor on May 06, 2024, at Lithuania, Pabrade | File Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

In the September survey, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’ (SPD) proposal to increase defence spending to 3% to 3.5% of the gross domestic product received 50% approval, while 15% said that was too low.

by DPA • November 8, 2024

File Photo: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (r) and Boris Pistorius, German Minister of Defence, talk at the start of the German Cabinet meeting on June 12, 2024 in Berlin. Germany's Cabinet approved legislation introducing a new form of military service on November 06, according to government sources | Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Russia’s war on Ukraine has prompted Germany to revisit its defence posture, which increasingly suffered from a lack of investment since the end of the Cold War as imminent threats appeared to diminish. The legislation must now pass through Germany’s two houses of parliament. It could come into force in May of next year.

by DPA • November 8, 2024

German Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius is pictured during an interview with the German Press Agency (DPA) on November 04, 2024 in Berlin | Photo: Carsten Koall//dpa

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that the Bundeswehr needs around €58 billion ($63 billion) in 2025 to quickly close capability gaps. “As things stand, we will be allocated around €52 billion”, he said, adding, “That means we will be short of almost €6 billion next year.”

by DPA • July 24, 2024

Carsten Breuer, Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, speaks at the opening of the Bundeswehr Day at the Holzdorf site at Saxony-Anhalt, Holzdorf-Schoenewalde on June 08, 2024. Breuer has said he sees a growing danger in Russia's military build-up | Photo: Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa

“The Russian army increases its number of tanks by 1,000 to 1,500 additional units every year. The five largest European NATO member states together have just half of that in their inventory,” said Germany’s chief of defence Carsten Breuer.

by DPA • July 24, 2024

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a press conference | Photo: Britta Pedersen/dpa

The U.S. and German governments announced plans for the deployment of U.S. missile systems that could reach Russia. These include nuclear-capable Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 2,500 kilometres, SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles and newly-developed hypersonic missiles.

by DPA • July 13, 2024

Two female soldiers of the German Armed Forces, Vivian T. (L) and Ramona F. (R) walk across the grounds of Lueneburg's Theodor Koerner Barracks in Lower Saxony on November 17, 2022 | File Photo: Philipp Schulze/dpa

Economic researchers and partners in the ruling coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz have warned of immense economic costs and legal difficulties that could result from plans for military conscription proposed by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in June in an attempt to boost the numbers of the German armed forces.