The German Military in 2025: Capabilities, Commitments, and Strategic Evolution
- Matthew Parish
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Germany, long Europe’s economic powerhouse, is undergoing a profound transformation in her military posture. Spurred by the war in Ukraine, shifting NATO dynamics, and diminishing US leadership in European defence affairs, Germany has begun reasserting herself as a major military actor. This article explores Germany’s armed forces—known collectively as the Bundeswehr—including their ground, naval, and air capacities, the country’s strategic commitments, and her future role in European defence.
Ground Forces: Bundeswehr’s Land Component
Germany’s land forces are centered around the Heer (Army), which in 2025 numbers approximately 64,000 active personnel, supported by another 30,000 reservists. This makes the German Army one of the largest in Western Europe but still small proportionate to the size of her population (83.28 million in 2023 - compare to Poland's 292,000 active military personnel with a population of 36.69 million in 2023). For much of the post-Cold War period, Germany had allowed its military infrastructure to decline. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 marked a turning point. Germany abandoned mandatory conscription in 2011 but is now contemplating reintroducing it in stages - initially by way of mandatory questionnaires about willingness to undertake military service, and potentially later on a return to mandatory conscription depending on the extent to which the Bundeswehr is able to attract recruits voluntarily.
Key Equipment and Capabilities
• Main Battle Tank: Germany’s Leopard 2 series is among the most advanced tanks in the world. Germany has 321 in active service and another 200 in storage, making her Europe's primary tank power. Variants like the Leopard 2A7V have been provided to Ukraine and remain a key pillar of NATO land warfare doctrine.
• Armoured Vehicles: Puma and Boxer armoured fighting vehicles provide mobility and protection for infantry units.
• Artillery: The Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) is a high-tech self-propelled howitzer with significant range and accuracy, used extensively by Ukraine.
• Infantry Weapons: German infantry are equipped with HK G36 rifles and MG5 machine guns, with modernisation programmes ongoing to integrate more HK416 systems.
Germany is now in the midst of a multibillion-euro modernisation campaign, aimed at updating her stockpiles and repairing equipment readiness issues.
Naval Forces: Die Deutsche Marine
Germany’s Navy, though smaller in scale than its British or French counterparts, is technologically sophisticated and focused on Baltic and North Sea operations, with growing blue-water ambitions.
• Frigates: The Baden-Württemberg-class are multi-role warships suitable for power projection and joint operations.
• Submarines: Germany operates a fleet of Type 212A diesel-electric submarines, known for their stealth and operational range, especially in shallow European seas.
• Expeditionary Capability: Limited. Germany lacks an aircraft carrier, and her navy focuses primarily on escort missions, anti-submarine warfare, and mine-clearing.
Air Force: Luftwaffe Capabilities
Germany’s Luftwaffe has undergone significant upgrades, with over 230 combat aircraft, including:
• Eurofighter Typhoon: Multirole air superiority fighters forming the backbone of the German air fleet. Germany has a formidable 143 such fighters in active service with another 33 on order at the current time.
• Tornado IDS/ECR: Aging but still useful for strike and electronic warfare roles, especially in NATO nuclear-sharing missions.
• Transport and Tanker Fleet: Airbus A400M and A310 MRTT aircraft provide strategic airlift and aerial refueling capability.
Germany is also investing in F-35s, expected to be delivered starting in 2026, to replace part of the Tornado fleet and fulfil her NATO nuclear deterrence commitments.
Germany’s Nuclear Role and Strategic Posture
Unlike France and the United Kingdom, Germany does not possess an independent nuclear deterrent. However, it remains a participant in NATO’s nuclear sharing, storing US B61 gravity bombs on German soil, deliverable by Luftwaffe aircraft.
Germany is becoming increasingly central to continental European defence, with growing interoperability, especially through the EU’s PESCO defence initiative (the Permanent Structured Cooperation framework within the European Union), aimed at deepening defence cooperation among willing EU member states. It allows member states to participate voluntarily in joint but legally binding projects to develop and enhance their defence capabilities.
Germany and Ukraine: The Peacekeeping Debate
The recent Ramstein proposal that Germany could co-lead a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine alongside the United Kingdom reflects its newfound seriousness. Under outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Germany was criticised for hesitation in arming Ukraine. However, with Chancellor-in-Waiting Friedrich Merz signaling an assertive stance—including support for delivering Taurus cruise missiles—Berlin appears to be embracing a more proactive security role.
Taurus missiles, with their precision and range (~500 km), would enable Ukraine to strike command centres, bridges, and supply depots deep in Russian-held territory, complementing medium-range United Kingdom Storm Shadow and United States HIMARS systems.
Technological Edge and Defence Industry
Germany has a powerful defense industrial base:
• Rheinmetall, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, and Diehl Defence are central players.
• Joint projects with France, like the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a coordination system for different countries' air forces, are reshaping next-generation air power.
Germany also leads in armoured vehicles, artillery systems, and increasingly, in electronic warfare and battlefield digitisation.
Toward Strategic Autonomy in Europe?
With the United States showing signs of retrenchment, especially under President Trump’s foreign policy pivot, Germany may play a pivotal role in sustaining Ukraine and deterring further Russian aggression.
To do so, Berlin must:
• Fulfil its pledge to reach 2% of GDP on defence spending (currently a paltry 1.5% - and this is the biggest economy in Europe).
• Expand readiness, training, and ammunition stockpiles.
• Deepen cooperation with France, the UK, and NATO partners.
• Consider long-term deployments and potential leadership in peacekeeping or deterrence forces east of NATO’s traditional perimeter.
Conclusion
Germany is still a military power in transition, moving from a pacifist legacy toward becoming a guarantor of European stability. As her defence commitments deepen, her influence in NATO and European security affairs is rising. A coordinated German-French-British approach could form the backbone of future European defense architecture—one that may be critical for both the future of Ukraine and the credibility of Europe’s response to 21st-century authoritarian aggression.