German Defense Chief Orders Expansion Of Warfare Capabilities

Germany’s defense chief, Carsten Breuer, has ordered the German military to be fully equipped with weapons and other essential materiel by 2029, according to a document seen by Reuters, Sabine Siebold reported.

Breuer identifies key priorities for weapons acquisition and development, many of which align with NATO’s broader goals. Photo: Super Bass Wikimedia Commons

By that year, Russian forces may have recovered enough to pose a direct threat to NATO territory, according to estimates by Breuer and other senior NATO military officials.

The directive, titled “Priorities for the Bolstering of Readiness” and signed by Breuer on May 19, outlines Germany’s strategy to reach its goals using funds made available through the loosening of the country’s debt brake in March.

Breuer identifies key priorities for weapons acquisition and development, many of which align with NATO’s broader goals.

These include strengthening Germany’s depleted air defenses—particularly to counter drone threats—and building the capability to conduct deep precision strikes against targets more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) behind enemy lines.

Last year, sources told Reuters that NATO would ask Berlin to at least quadruple its air defense capacity, ranging from long-range systems like the Patriot to short-range systems.