With a stark warning echoing across the strategic corridors of Europe, Germany has just three years to acquire and deploy the necessary equipment to counter a potential Russian assault on NATO territory. This timeline, outlined by Annette Lehnigk-Emden, head of the Federal Office for Military Procurement, underscores a rapid and historic rearmament drive that has come to dominate German political and military discourse.
In an interview published Saturday by the Tagesspiegel newspaper, Lehnigk-Emden stated, “Everything necessary to be fully prepared to defend the country must be acquired by 2028.” Her comments align with dire assessments from military leadership and highlight Germany’s strategic pivot from post-Cold War disarmament to one of the most aggressive military modernization efforts in its postwar history.
The urgency was amplified by Chief of Defence General Carsten Breuer, who warned recently that Russia could be prepared to launch a “large-scale attack against NATO territory” by 2029. According to Breuer, Russian forces are stockpiling ammunition, modernizing tanks, and reconfiguring military infrastructure for potential operations in Eastern Europe, particularly against NATO’s Baltic states.
Germany, long accused of underspending on defence within the NATO alliance, is now under intense scrutiny both externally and domestically. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who assumed office earlier this year, has made military readiness a central tenet of his administration. His coalition government has committed hundreds of billions of euros to boost defence spending, with a focus on critical assets such as the Skyranger anti-aircraft tanks and other heavy-duty equipment.
Though Merz has accelerated military expansion, the groundwork was laid under the previous chancellorship of Olaf Scholz. In the immediate aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Scholz initiated the “Zeitenwende” (“turning point”) policy, signaling Germany’s break from a long tradition of cautious military engagement.
Scholz’s administration approved a 100-billion-euro special fund for the Bundeswehr (German armed forces), but many projects lagged due to bureaucratic inertia and procurement delays. Under Merz, this bottleneck has been targeted for reform, with Lehnigk-Emden emphasizing that the procurement office is now operating under new directives to accelerate acquisitions and streamline logistics.
Fueling Germany’s accelerated defence posture is a renewed push from the United States for greater NATO burden-sharing. President Donald Trump, returned to the White House earlier this year, has made defence spending a litmus test for transatlantic loyalty. In recent weeks, he has demanded that NATO members raise their defence budgets to 5% of GDP—more than double the current commitment of 2%.
“I know that you are spending more money on defence now, quite a bit more money, and that’s a positive thing,” Trump remarked during Chancellor Merz’s recent visit to Washington. At a joint press conference in the Oval Office, Trump lauded Germany’s shift from what he once labeled “free-riding” to proactive rearmament.
For Merz, the trip to Washington was not just symbolic. It was a calculated move to reassure Washington of Germany’s commitment to NATO and to stabilize transatlantic relations after years of strain.
“The question that was asked was: do you have any plans to leave NATO? I can say it was answered with a very clear no,” Merz said, reflecting on his direct conversation with Trump. He added, “We have unfortunately been free-riders on American security guarantees for years, and that’s changing.”
Back home, Merz has spearheaded legislative changes to exempt defence spending from Germany’s strict constitutional debt limits. This political maneuver has enabled the government to pledge tens of billions of euros in additional military funding, a move welcomed by U.S. officials and NATO allies alike.
Germany’s intensified military buildup comes at a time when NATO is undergoing a fundamental reassessment of its mission and funding. At the recent NATO defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that the alliance is close to a new consensus on spending benchmarks.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has proposed a compromise plan: 3.5% of GDP on core military operations and an additional 1.5% for broader security expenditures like infrastructure and cyber defence. The aim is to meet Trump’s 5% target without creating undue domestic backlash in member states with tight fiscal constraints.
Germany, as Europe’s largest economy and most populous nation, is expected to play a leading role. Already, the German Defence Ministry has forecast the need to recruit 50,000 to 60,000 new troops in the coming years. Last year, the Bundeswehr counted over 180,000 soldiers and has set a goal to exceed 203,000 personnel by 2031.
Among the high-priority procurement items is the Skyranger, an advanced anti-aircraft platform capable of neutralizing drone swarms and missile barrages. With Russian drones and cruise missiles playing a decisive role in the Ukraine conflict, such capabilities are seen as vital for future European battlefield scenarios.
Other modernization efforts include the joint Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS), the acquisition of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets, and the overhaul of Germany’s Leopard tank fleet. The Bundeswehr is also investing heavily in digital command and control infrastructure, space-based surveillance, and NATO-interoperable communication systems.
Despite the progress, military experts warn that turning funding into combat readiness is not guaranteed. “Throwing money at the problem doesn’t automatically generate combat power,” said Dr. Ulrich Speck, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund. “You need efficient bureaucracy, trained personnel, and political will to sustain it over decades.”
While Germany focuses on rearming, NATO’s eastern members remain acutely vulnerable. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—border nations with Russia or its ally Belarus—have urged faster deployments of NATO forces and greater pre-positioning of equipment.
Germany has pledged to lead a multinational brigade in Lithuania, which is now being rapidly deployed. Still, critics argue that NATO’s deterrence is only as credible as its ability to respond immediately, not in weeks or months.
“If Russia believes it can achieve a quick victory before NATO responds, deterrence fails,” said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur. “Germany’s commitment is crucial, but time is of the essence.”
Chancellor Merz’s pivot toward defence has garnered bipartisan support in Germany, but challenges remain. Opposition parties have criticized the scale of military spending in the face of domestic economic woes, including inflation and housing shortages. Some segments of the public, still wary of Germany’s militaristic past, are uneasy with the country’s newfound martial posture.
Yet for Merz, the stakes are higher than public opinion polls. He has staked his political legacy on transforming Germany into what he calls “the most powerful conventional army in Europe.” Whether this vision materializes in time to counteract looming threats remains uncertain, but the gears of German rearmament are undeniably in motion.
