From Deutsche Welle:  The German armed forces are less efficient and not as deployment ready compared to other European militaries, according to the European Defense Agency (EDA) and a report by the economics magazine Wirtschaftswoche.

Germany is currently capable of sending 7,000 soldiers abroad at one time. In contrast, the United Kingdom can deploy 22,000 troops simultaneously while France can contribute 30,000 soldiers to international military actions.

The German armed forces also operate less efficiently when they are in deployment. According to the EDA, one German soldier serving abroad demands the support 35 soldiers and 15 civilian employees at home. In the United Kingdom, that number is nine and four while in France it lies at eight and two.

Although Germany spends relatively little on its military compared to the UK and France, it costs around 5 million euros ($7 million) to support a single German soldier deployed abroad, three times as high as the European Union average.

Germany officially phased out military conscription on Friday, July 1, and is in the process of shifting the focus of its armed forces from territorial defense to international expeditionary missions.

The reforms envision a military capable of deploying 10,000 soldiers abroad simultaneously while reducing the overall number of service members from 220,000 to 185,00.  (photo: Thomas Peter/Reuter)

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