Overview

• The cabinet’s 27 August bill initiates letters to all turning 18 from 2026 requiring men to reply, with medical screenings for male cohorts born after 2008 resuming from July 2027.
• Pay for entrants is raised to soldier‑on‑contract levels, with an 18‑year‑old private moving from €1,837 gross to €2,706.99 gross (about €2,320.86 net).
• Personnel goals tied to NATO planning target at least 260,000 active troops and 200,000 reservists by 2030, up from roughly 182,000 currently in the active force.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz said conscription could be reintroduced and include women if volunteer targets are missed, noting constitutional constraints and the need for a parliamentary decision.
• Navy inspector Jan Christian Kaack confirmed intrusion, espionage and sabotage attempts against the Bundeswehr and said security at bases is being strengthened, including with drone systems.