Bundeswehr: On Par with the British and French, Says Research
According to a recent study by the Bonn International Center for Conflict Studies (BICC), German military forces, or the Bundeswehr, are roughly equivalent to the armed forces of France and the UK in terms of equipment and operational readiness.
Despite claims to the contrary, Germany is not lacking in the ability to defend itself and maintains armed forces similar to those of France and Britain, which are often considered more powerful. In fact, the Bundeswehr's main weapon systems are significantly more modern than those of its two NATO partners.
Armament
While France may have the most large weapon systems, Germany boasts the most modern main battle tank, the Leopard 2. German land systems, on average, are seven years younger than those of France and almost ten years younger than those of the United Kingdom.
When it comes to air power, Germany is slightly behind France with 477 units, but significantly ahead of the UK with its outdated land weapon systems. The researchers conclude that, in terms of armament, the efficiency of Germany and France is similar, with the UK performing somewhat worse.
Personnel
Data from the "Military Balance" yearbook published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS/2023) indicates that, in terms of personnel strength, France ranked first with 203,250 active soldiers in 2022. Germany came in second with 183,150 soldiers, while the UK had the fewest soldiers with 150,350. The UK, however, does spend significantly more on each soldier, around $141,764 compared to Germany's $128,974 and France's $121,836.
Financing
Between 1993 and 2022, Germany spent 1,408.8 billion US dollars on its armed forces, putting it in seventh place for military expenditure in 2022. Germany did, however, see a significant increase in defense budgets, growing from around 32 billion euros in 2014 to 50.3 billion euros in 2022.
Operational Readiness
France and the UK have been able to send almost 10,000 more soldiers on international missions than Germany over the past ten years. However, all three armed forces have been focusing on asymmetric missions "out of area," such as in Afghanistan, Mali, or Niger, rather than alliance defense and wars against similarly strong opponents.
All three countries do not have sufficient stocks of ammunition, meaning they could only make a small proportion of their units combat-ready at short notice. However, Germany's Leopard 2 main battle tanks are widely regarded as some of the most modern and effective in the world.
In conclusion, while France may have the most large weapon systems and personnel strength, Germany's Leopard 2 main battle tanks and more modern weapon systems give it a strong presence on the battlefield. The Bundeswehr's operational readiness is on par with its NATO partners, despite slight differences in financing and personnel strength.
