Germany must be ready for war - defense minister --This will require "a new form of military service," Boris Pistorius told lawmakers | 6 June 2024 | Germany must prepare to wage war before the end of the decade, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has declared. However, the German military lacks basic equipment, and a parliamentary report suggests it won't be war-ready for half a century. "We must be ready for war by 2029," Pistorius proclaimed on Wednesday, during a session of parliament. "We must provide deterrence to prevent things coming to the worst," he added, in comments carried by Der Spiegel. There are currently around 181,000 active-duty members of the Bundeswehr, or German armed forces. Pistorius told lawmakers that this number must increase, ideally through a "new form of military service" that "cannot be completely free of obligations."