Roewekamp Chats Up ntv Early Start About Strengthening the Bundeswehr: "It's All About Turning Up the Volume"
Mass production of armaments is Röwekamp's focus now.
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Email Print Copy Link
The Potential Comeback of Conscription:Thomas Roewekamp, head honcho of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag, is all-in for the proposals of a possible resurgence of conscription. The CDU fellow is pushing for an upgrade of the Bundeswehr. He believes that voluntary recruitment won't cut it, stating on ntv Early Start, "I ain't buying that voluntary service will make the cut."
A year will pass before a call is made regarding whether we should tailor the headcount to meet the target of 2029. If the numbers don’t add up, it's off to the press gang, as Roewekamp hints at. "That's why there's already a provision in the law to skip a complicated legislative process," he says. As of now, the Bundeswehr counts about 180,000 soldiers, but Roewekamp predicts the long-term requirement stands at 260,000 to 280,000 soldiers.
Politics NATO's Demands for the Bundeswehr:Roewekamp also warns the arms industry to brace itself for the massive armament demands in play. "We've been buying supplies off the shelf since the Russian attack," he says, "but our aim should be to produce the armaments ourselves, right here in Europe, to stock up our Bundeswehr." He claims German industry can rise to the challenge, "Even armies outside Germany depend on our goods," he boasts. However, beefing up production capacity poses a problem, he admits, "It's really about quantity and quality now." Hence the urgent need for drone defense investment. "We've got a lot to do in that department," he confesses.
- Conscription
- Bundeswehr
- German Defense Policy
- CDU
- Arms Industry
- Arms
- Arms Production
- Drone Defense
- ntv Early Start
Enrichment Data:
Germany is hinting at conscription's return, with the government preparing contingencies if the voluntary service model fails to meet army requirements. The government intends to significantly boost the military manpower of the Bundeswehr, with targets to double army reserves and reach 203,000 active soldiers by 2031. As of end-2024, the active personnel stood at around 181,150. The voluntary service approach, inspired by Sweden's model, involves sending eligibility questionnaires to all 18-year-olds and inviting a percentage to join the Bundeswehr. However, doubts about the effectiveness of this voluntary recruitment model have emerged, increasing the likelihood that conscription will be reinstated to meet military needs.
Simultaneously, Germany is actively pursuing modernization and increased investment in its arms industry to cater to the escalating defense demands post-Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to build the strongest conventional army in Europe, scrapping previous debt rules to allow for higher defense spending. These initiatives necessitate substantial investments and modernization efforts to equip the Bundeswehr with necessary military supplies as it expands. Though specific modernization plans were not detailed in the search results, the overall policy trend strongly backs expanding German arms manufacturing capabilities to meet growing armament needs.[1][2][3]
- The reintroduction of conscription in Germany is being considered as a potential solution to strengthen the Bundeswehr and meet military requirements, given the doubts about the effectiveness of the voluntary recruitment model.
- As part of the German government's efforts to modernize its defense policy and increase investment in the arms industry, there is a push to improve the production of armaments domestically to better equip the Bundeswehr in light of the growing defense demands due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
