Annual Report 2023: The force continues to age and shrink

The 2023 Annual Report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces identifies major deficits, particularly in the area of personnel. In contrast, a positive trend is continuing in the area of equipment.

In her 175-page annual report 2023 on the state of the Bundeswehr, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, also draws a sobering conclusion: "The force is ageing and shrinking. Several units have large personnel vacancies. There is a lack of material, from large equipment to spare parts. The shortage has become even worse as a result of the transfer to Ukraine. The infrastructure is disastrous in many places". The armed forces are therefore "not yet fully operational, there is an enormous need for action", concludes Högl.