The German government has announced its plan to require all adult men aged 18 and over to undergo a physical examination as a prerequisite for conscription starting in 2028. This is expected to signal the revival of the conscription system, which was abolished in 2011.
According to the German daily Tagesspiegel and other sources on the 25th (local time), the German Ministry of Defense is planning to submit a draft amendment to the Military Service Act at a cabinet meeting next month. This amendment would make physical examinations mandatory for all adult men from 2028, regardless of their intention to enlist. The move is interpreted as a step toward the full-scale reconsideration of conscription, amid forecasts that European security will remain unstable even after the war in Ukraine.
The German government has set a goal to be capable of waging war by 2029, aiming to increase the number of active Bundeswehr soldiers from the current 182,000 to 260,000. The number of reservists will also be significantly increased from the current 49,000 to 200,000.
The main reason for this military buildup is the threat of invasion from Russia. Intelligence agencies in the United States and other Western countries believe that Russia will restore its conventional military power lost in the war in Ukraine within the next four to five years and may launch additional invasions against member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Europe.
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