Bundeswehr reform?

[Fishbone Jones]

I think we already did this, didn't we?

 

[ironduke57]

Thanks to BansheeOne from Tanknet for this:

Cabinet signed off on the reform on Wednesday. Everybody is acting surprised it will probably not save the 8.4 billion Euros which were the original driving force behind the whole thing. Looks like the MoD's scare tactics of advertizing super-austere force structures will pay off.

Future force will consist of 170,000 professionals and up to 15,000 voluntary short-timers. I've caught a glimpse at a briefing document that treats the early six-brigade army model (with two division HQs, plus French-German brigade, airborne and SF forces) and the more recent divisional battlegroup phantasms as equal options. The buzz is that with the increased manpower ceiling there's now enough mass to have proper brigades with balanced armor and infantry capabilities (and maybe even organic artillery) again.

The law suspending conscription will enter in force on July 1st if it goes through parliament as it is now. Last compulsory draft cards will be for January 1st. They're thinking of making folks who would have been up for the second quarter the offer of serving the six months that were in the original law for 2011 and take advantage of the new enlistment/re-enlistment boni once the new law takes effect to bridge the gap.

From then on, 18-year-olds of either sex will be registered and get "inivitations" to undergo checks and counseling for voluntary service. The current County Defense Replacement Offices will likely be amalgamated with the Volunteer Reception Posts and transformed into 15-20 posts that will not only accept applications for military service, but also civilian employee slots, and maybe the civilian volunteer services too.

If parliament declares a State of Tension or State of Defense, the law automatically reverts to compulsory conscription for men.

Regards,
ironduke57

 

[57Chevy]

German Defense Minister Seeks More European Military Cooperation
(Defense & Security News — By German Radio on December 10, 2010)

Ahead of a defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, the German defense minister says he supports more European military cooperation. In a time of austerity, resources should be shared, said Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.

German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said he is willing for Germany's military to share some of its duties with other armies in Europe.

In an opinion piece written for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily on Thursday, Guttenberg said there could be a "sharing of roles and duties" among European countries.

In Brussels later Thursday, Guttenberg together with his Swedish counterpart Sten Tolgfors will present a project advocating reinforced European military cooperation. European defense ministers are meeting to examine how to make up for the general cut in military budgets due to widespread austerity measures.

Pooling of skills and materials
Guttenberg said some military duties are essential for each nation and would "remain within the national competence." However the "scarcity of resources in all nations" means that the pooling of skills and equipment to support European partners is important.

"The commitment to European defense must be more than just lip service," Guttenberg said in the article. "By intensifying our military cooperation, we will all benefit in the end."

The minister suggested three categories of cooperation. The first would cover military duties that are simply in the national interest and can be handled alone. The second would be a "straight collaboration between partners, without them abandoning national responsibilities." In the third category, there were duties for which "one could lean on a European partner."

Examples of cooperation in the last two categories include joint financing of research and development, training and shared use of materials.

link

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