Overview
- Germany's governing parties settled on core elements of a revamped military service that include nationwide assessments and a Bundestag-triggered needs-based draft with possible lottery selection if volunteers fall short.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he was very happy about the agreement and stressed that each member state decides how to staff its forces.
- Rutte described the Geilenkirchen AWACS as NATO's eyes and ears and pledged to push for faster replacement of the 1970s-era Boeing 707 airframes and outdated equipment.
- He reaffirmed NATO's objective for members to reach 5% of GDP on defense by 2035 and said he sees Germany accelerating efforts toward that goal.
- North Rhine-Westphalia leader Hendrik Wüst called the planned nationwide assessment a fair approach to address personnel shortfalls, while the base commander noted daily missions by a multinational force from more than 20 nations.