Poll from mid-March 2024, 5000 respondents, sampling error 2.5%
https://www-focus-de.translate.goog/...en&_x_tr_hl=de
Quasi a comment on this:
https://www-focus-de.translate.goog/...en&_x_tr_hl=de
Quote:
If the Bundeswehr had to fight now, it would undoubtedly do so. But unfortunately, after more than three decades of shrinking and cost-cutting, this is only possible to a very limited extent.
In the 1980s, the Bundeswehr had 500,000 soldiers, 7,000 tanks and 1,000 combat aircraft. In the meantime, over 60 percent of the personnel, 90 percent of the tanks and around 80 percent of the aircraft have been reduced. The capacity and portfolio of the navy has also suffered enormously. And the ammunition depots are empty rather than full.
The troops are still struggling to adequately fulfill their tasks in NATO. And the country's own national defense is also in a poor state. That should change very, very quickly. Why else should others come to our aid?
(...)
With the end of the Cold War, the peace dividend after 1990 not only brought with it an enormous reduction in troops, but also a huge investment deficit of around 400 billion euros. The Bundeswehr urgently needs this money in order to be able to fulfill its core tasks.
The special fund will make it possible to offset around a quarter of the historical deficit. There is not yet a significant amount of ammunition. In addition, interest on loans and rising prices are eating away at the 100 billion.
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With "tanks" he no doubt means armoured vehicles in generla: MBTs but also IFVs, APCs etc. The Bundeswehr currently has around 300 Leopard-2 tanks of several variants, most of them not in a combat ready state. Operational were around 90 Leopard-2s when 18 of these were given to Ukraine. So, around 72 operational Leopard-2s were left at that time.
Thats not even two tank batallions. A German tank batallion currently has 44 MBTs by doctrine.
I pereosnally would prfeer to not see a massve MBT-heavy rearmament, but a massive investment in ammunition stockpiles, air defences, combat air force, plenty of artillery - and then an overkilll reserve in ATGMs and shoulderpad AT and SAM weapons. I think that meets our reality much better than just getting heavy tanks again. Tanks are targets before anything else. But a militia-style defence from the whole population, with widespread availability of missiles against tanks and air targets? That woudl make any attack costly, very.
Also, obviously, but very unpopular in Germany: mines, mines, mines.
In the medium tiem frame I also propose to get own nuclear weapons - strategic ones. But that is a logistically very cotsly and complicated topic that probably has no chance of realization in this Kindergarden named Germany. Obviously you cannot deter Russia if you rule out the use of nukes against Russia. And I see no logic in dropping our then German nuclear bombs on German or Polish or Baltic soil - they are not our enemy, Russia is.