| Tango01 | 22 Feb 2017 10:06 p.m. PST |
"Germany is to increase the size of its armed forces amid growing concerns over the security of Europe. Troop numbers in the Bundeswehr will be raised to almost 200,000 over the next seven years, under new plans announced on Wednesday. The move comes days after Mike Pence, the US vice-president, called on Nato's European members to increase military spending…"
Main page link
Amicalement
Armand
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| darthfozzywig | 22 Feb 2017 10:17 p.m. PST |
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| foxweasel | 23 Feb 2017 3:08 a.m. PST |
Now's the time for the rest of Europe to up its troop numbers. Call me cynical, but with Britain leaving the EU and the likely collapse of it anyway, how else is Germany going to maintain its dominance of mainland Europe? |
| Sobieski | 23 Feb 2017 4:53 a.m. PST |
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| Jason O Mahony | 23 Feb 2017 6:46 a.m. PST |
Fourth time…they nearly had it wrapped up with the EU. |
| Bangorstu | 23 Feb 2017 6:48 a.m. PST |
Technically speaking that's total armed forces up to 198k, not just the army. But good news all the same. |
| VonTed | 23 Feb 2017 6:49 a.m. PST |
That a marder in the background? That thing is HUGE. |
| bsrlee | 23 Feb 2017 7:04 a.m. PST |
Von Ted, Its something new, Marders have tracks not wheels, also the main turret looks wrong- too high – and you can't see the rear remote MG mount. |
| Fatman | 23 Feb 2017 7:34 a.m. PST |
I believe its called a Boxer a German/Dutch project. Fatman |
| zoneofcontrol | 23 Feb 2017 7:34 a.m. PST |
"Technically speaking that's total armed forces up to 198k,…" 198k? is that an upgrade of the 98k WWII rifle?!? |
| Gaz0045 | 23 Feb 2017 8:13 a.m. PST |
At least they'll be able to reform their 'Mohammedanische Legion'..if they can drum up volunteers. |
Tgerritsen  | 23 Feb 2017 9:17 a.m. PST |
Yep, its a Boxer. It's a nice vehicle, but it sure looks big in that picture. link |
| Tango01 | 23 Feb 2017 10:00 a.m. PST |
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| Weasel | 23 Feb 2017 10:21 a.m. PST |
Did we forget to tell them that Putin is cool now? |
| GreenLeader | 23 Feb 2017 11:12 a.m. PST |
As others have pointed out, very poor reporting from the Telegraph (which really should know better) to equate the size of the army to the total number of service personnel. I read the article yesterday and spotted the mistake immediately – if I can see it at a glance, how did it make it past the various sub-editors and editors? Is the average Briton (including the average defence correspondent) now so far removed from the realities of the military that they really have no clue? |
| foxweasel | 23 Feb 2017 11:23 a.m. PST |
Not really that far removed, the majority of people (including most of the troops in my unit) think Bundeswehr is army and Luftwaffe is air force, they'd never heard of Heer. |
| 47Ronin | 23 Feb 2017 12:03 p.m. PST |
Very funny, darthfozzywig. I haven't watched the movie in years, but I remember the first time I saw it on TV. Thanks for the memories. |
| thorr666 | 23 Feb 2017 2:25 p.m. PST |
Am I the only one who read this and first thought was 'this doesn't end well'? |
| foxweasel | 23 Feb 2017 2:28 p.m. PST |
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| basileus66 | 23 Feb 2017 11:23 p.m. PST |
Call me cynical, but with Britain leaving the EU You are aware that the EU is not, and never has been, a military alliance, aren't you? In other words, UK leaving the EU won't affect her military commitments… not until she decides to leave NATO too, of course; which I wouldn't find surprising given the isolationism that is pervading the World, lately. |
| Supercilius Maximus | 23 Feb 2017 11:42 p.m. PST |
Unfortunately, basileus, the EU has only itself to blame for this misconception, having not only claimed credit for non-EU institutions (including UEFA – soccer, the ECHR – international court, and the Eurovision song contest – which includes Israel and Australia), but also been widely credited by its supporters for "keeping the peace in Europe since 1945" (despite having only been founded in 1958 – or 1993 if we're being pedantic – and having proved completely and utterly useless when confronted with the collapse of Yugoslavia). |
| foxweasel | 24 Feb 2017 12:52 a.m. PST |
Basileus, as I've been in the British military for 29 years I'm quite aware of our commitments and alliances. What I said was that with Britain leaving the EU (and the likely breakdown) how will Germany continue to try and dominate Europe. |
| foxweasel | 24 Feb 2017 3:03 a.m. PST |
In other words, if it can't do it economically, it will do it militarily. |
| Tgunner | 24 Feb 2017 7:40 p.m. PST |
Technically speaking that's total armed forces up to 198k, not just the army. Actually that's very depressing. All services with less than 170K and they want seven years to build up to 198K. The Germans are really serious about this apparently… The Boxer is pretty cool though. It's just a bit bigger than the Bradley, so I have to wonder what makes it look so huge in the picture. Maybe it's the camera adding weight???
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| Mike Target | 27 Feb 2017 8:40 a.m. PST |
"so I have to wonder what makes it look so huge in the picture. Maybe it's the camera adding weight???" Probably something to do with the fact the chaps in front are standing in a slight ditch, and the Boxer is parked on a slope… |
| Martin From Canada | 28 Feb 2017 9:21 a.m. PST |
It's not Tyrion Lannister's platoon? |
with some 'babes', and she did the rest...
