Verteidigung: Bundeswehr wächst so schnell wie geplant
Die deutsche Armee gewinnt immer mehr Rekruten. Auch die Zahl der Bewerbungen nimmt zu. Die Erfassung von potenziellen Wehrdienstleistenden geht weiter.
Berlin - The size of the German military, the Bundeswehr, has grown as planned in July, reaching levels not seen in 13 years. This indicates the force is on track to meet its politically set objectives. On the 31st of July, the military count stood at approximately 186,700 personnel, according to the Defense Ministry. This represents a two percent increase compared to July 2025, translating to around 3,700 more men and women in the ranks.
The military strength thus aligns with the target range for the start of 2026, which had been set between 186,000 and 190,000 soldiers. However, the minimum requirement had already been met two months prior to the year's start. The number of applicants surged by 26 percent compared to the previous year's month, totaling around 47,300 people seeking positions.
The ministry has recorded a 12 percent increase in new enlistments compared to the previous year's month, adding up to 4,500 more than the month before that.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
