Germany is confident of having the best-equipped army division among European NATO allies by 2025, army chief Alfons Mais told Reuters, as countries scramble to equip their troops after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “I am very optimistic that we will get it (the division by 2025),” Mais said in an interview published Monday, adding that the division would initially have 80-90% of the necessary staff and that plans were agreed with the NATO.
The lieutenant general said that Germany would contribute two mechanized brigades, first with a medium brigade, and then it would be reinforced by a Dutch brigade. A brigade has about 5,000 soldiers. “This will be enough,” said the lieutenant general. “It will be enough, in any case, to bring in the best-equipped division of all NATO’s European partners by 2025. At least, this is our joint goal with our Dutch partners.”
Divisions are the main organizational blocks of ground forces that would be needed to face a conflict with a similar adversary. Western countries are scrambling to rebuild and re-equip their divisions after decades of minor wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, in which they have been neglected, dismantled and devoid of weapons and ammunition.
Reuters
