Overview

• The Bundesrechnungshof’s report shows a 24 percent drop in soldier posts since 2010 while officer roles rose from 15 to 21 percent of all positions by 2024.
• It flags tens of thousands of posts filled by personnel tied to non-essential tasks and labels this scope of overhead as unacceptable.
• The audit criticises the defence ministry for reversing earlier cuts and restoring staffing levels to those seen in 2012.
• It warns that near-unlimited borrowing for defence may spur price increases in the sector absent organisational reforms.
• The report demands a comprehensive critique of tasks to prioritise defence-relevant roles and free more soldiers for frontline duties.