Germany unveils huge defence cuts

The cuts could include the loss of 35,000 troops

Germany has announced major cuts in military spending as it aims to revamp its armed forces.

Defence Minister Peter Struck says up to 26 billion euros (£18bn) will be cut from the budget for arms procurement, troops and military bases.

As Germany faces major financial restraints, Mr Struck said the plan was "about switching military planning from unrealistic projects back to realism".

Rural towns say they will be hard hit by the possible closure of 100 bases.

Mr Struck said that on top of the closures and spending cuts, the army would be cut by 35,000 troops to about 250,000.

"That will open up room for targeted weapons investment from 2012," he said.

Orders safe

Mr Struck said the cuts were part of a reform aimed at shifting the German armed forces away from traditional territorial defence and towards better fulfilling increasing international demands for peacekeeping and conflict prevention.

Despite the cuts, Mr Struck insisted Germany would honour procurement contracts that had already been signed such as the orders for 180 Eurofighter combat aircraft, the Tiger combat helicopter and NH90 transport helicopter.

However, projects such as upgrading the Patriot missile defence systems and plans to buy a pilotless reconnaissance drone for the navy, will be scrapped.

Opposition defence expert Guenther Nolting of the Free Democratic Party said that even if Mr Struck's plans were implemented, the "discrepancy between assignment, equipment and availability of financial funds" would continue to exist.

He said the military had been "chronically underfinanced" for years.

The spokesman of the association of towns and communities, Franz-Reinhard Habbel, told the Berliner Zeitung that the closure of military bases would be the "beginning of a catastrophe for many towns, especially where the military is the largest employer.

"Should it come to the closures, there must be compensation measures, and above all transition periods," he said.