Germany unveils military strategy, sticks to troop target

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative file photo — A German service member observes a target area during a training exercise. (Bundeswehr/Maximilian Schulz)

BERLIN  -  Germany set out a military strategy on Wednesday that sticks with a target of 260,000 active troops despite demands by senior military officials to raise total troop numbers more drastically in response to a widely perceived growing threat from Russia.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin aimed for a military of 460,000 soldiers, a target set in 2025 that includes 200,000 reservists, while describing the strategy as a "living document".

"It is clear that automation and artificial intelligence will continue to impact our planning, how many troops we will need and with what qualifications", he noted. "Our ambition is and must be...to be Europe's strongest conventional military."  

 (Reporting by Sabine SieboldEditing by Madeline Chambers // REUTERS)