NATO Plans Significant Troop Increase – Welt
According to a report from Die Welt, the US-led coalition is planning to establish 49 new combat brigades aimed at containing Russia. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
NATO is making plans to significantly boost its combat units in response to escalating tensions with Russia, as reported by the daily Die Welt on Saturday, which cites a confidential planning document from the German Defense Ministry.
The document, titled “Minimum Capability Requirements,” was reportedly prepared by two prominent commanders of the US-led alliance: American General Christopher Cavoli, who serves as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and French Admiral Pierre Vandier, who oversees the bloc’s doctrinal and transformation matters.
According to Die Welt, the document outlines the fundamental requirements NATO must meet to defend "every centimeter” of its territory in the event of a conflict with Moscow.
Cavoli and Vandier indicate that the existing count of combat brigades within the bloc is inadequate, suggesting an increase from 82 to 131. The newspaper notes that, based on German army standards, these new formations should consist of about 5,000 soldiers each, though it does not clarify if the NATO strategy paper provides any specific prerequisites.
Furthermore, the document calls for an expansion of corps and divisions from six to 15 and from 24 to 38, respectively. The report also states that the number of ground-based air defense units, which include systems such as the US-made Patriots or the German-made IRIS-T, should grow fivefold from 293 to 1,467.
Each of the 32 NATO member states would need to contribute to these new “minimum capabilities,” with contributions based on their populations.
It remains uncertain how swiftly NATO countries will be able to fulfill these new requirements. Die Welt notes that the German Armed Forces—Bundeswehr—currently operate eight combat brigades, with one more in formation. Berlin aims to deploy an additional brigade by 2031.
The proposed buildup would necessitate “significant further funding,” according to the authors, as cited by Die Welt. They also suggested that the plan would “probably demand significantly more than two percent” of member states’ national GDP allocated to defense.
Since the onset of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, Western nations have consistently labeled Russia as a serious threat to their security.
The Kremlin, however, has denied having any intentions to attack NATO. President Vladimir Putin has referred to assertions of a ‘Russian threat’ as “nonsense” and a form of propaganda by Western governments designed to instill fear in European populations “to extract additional expenses” from them. Nonetheless, senior Russian officials have cautioned that the West’s escalating involvement in Ukraine through arms shipments and military support heightens the risk of a direct confrontation between Moscow and the alliance.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
The document, titled “Minimum Capability Requirements,” was reportedly prepared by two prominent commanders of the US-led alliance: American General Christopher Cavoli, who serves as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and French Admiral Pierre Vandier, who oversees the bloc’s doctrinal and transformation matters.
According to Die Welt, the document outlines the fundamental requirements NATO must meet to defend "every centimeter” of its territory in the event of a conflict with Moscow.
Cavoli and Vandier indicate that the existing count of combat brigades within the bloc is inadequate, suggesting an increase from 82 to 131. The newspaper notes that, based on German army standards, these new formations should consist of about 5,000 soldiers each, though it does not clarify if the NATO strategy paper provides any specific prerequisites.
Furthermore, the document calls for an expansion of corps and divisions from six to 15 and from 24 to 38, respectively. The report also states that the number of ground-based air defense units, which include systems such as the US-made Patriots or the German-made IRIS-T, should grow fivefold from 293 to 1,467.
Each of the 32 NATO member states would need to contribute to these new “minimum capabilities,” with contributions based on their populations.
It remains uncertain how swiftly NATO countries will be able to fulfill these new requirements. Die Welt notes that the German Armed Forces—Bundeswehr—currently operate eight combat brigades, with one more in formation. Berlin aims to deploy an additional brigade by 2031.
The proposed buildup would necessitate “significant further funding,” according to the authors, as cited by Die Welt. They also suggested that the plan would “probably demand significantly more than two percent” of member states’ national GDP allocated to defense.
Since the onset of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, Western nations have consistently labeled Russia as a serious threat to their security.
The Kremlin, however, has denied having any intentions to attack NATO. President Vladimir Putin has referred to assertions of a ‘Russian threat’ as “nonsense” and a form of propaganda by Western governments designed to instill fear in European populations “to extract additional expenses” from them. Nonetheless, senior Russian officials have cautioned that the West’s escalating involvement in Ukraine through arms shipments and military support heightens the risk of a direct confrontation between Moscow and the alliance.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
