Military planners give Berlin three choices to shrink armed forces

July 20, 2010 07:18 pm | Updated 07:18 pm IST - Berlin

German Defence Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg, left, leaves a helicopter during a visit of the camp of German ISAF soldiers in Kunduz, Afghanistan, on July 17, 2010. Photo: AP.

German Defence Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg, left, leaves a helicopter during a visit of the camp of German ISAF soldiers in Kunduz, Afghanistan, on July 17, 2010. Photo: AP.

Germany’s plans to radically shrink its armed forces and save money would lead to all—professional forces and the end of conscription, according to sources in Berlin in Tuesday.

Military planners have given Berlin three choices to cut personnel. The army, air force and navy currently have 252,000 personnel training in Germany, fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, mounting naval patrols off Lebanon and other duties.

Defence Minister Karl—Theodor zu Guttenberg laid out the scenarios on Tuesday to Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had ordered the review.

A modest cut to 200 000 would leave some conscription, and a cut to 150,000 would eliminate it altogether.

The sources said an in—between option of holding the forces at 170,000 would not require conscripts but would allow for some kind of short—service volunteers. In all the options, career soldiers, sailors and air personnel would make up most of the forces.

Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democrats have been deeply hostile to the abolition of conscription. Many Germans praise conscription, saying it keeps the forces in touch with civil society and helps prevent a spread of far—right attitudes in the forces.

Mr. Guttenberg has also faced grumbling in his own party, the Bavaria—only Christian Social Union (CSU), over the downsizing, which is part of Ms. Merkel’s plan to sharply reduce government spending.

The cabinet decided in June that the forces must eliminate 40,000 career positions. This would leave too few personnel to train the current number of conscripts. Young German males are usually called up at 18.

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