US Army to boost strength in Germany by 1,500 troops
The US Army said on 7 September that it would deploy an additional 1,500 troops in Germany, despite US President Donald Trump's repeated complaints that the NATO partner is spending too little on joint defence.
The troops will be deployed by September 2020 – adding to more than 33,000 US troops already there – said US Army Europe, which called it ‘a display of our continued commitment to NATO and our collective resolve to support European security.’
US Ambassador Richard Grenell said that ‘Americans are committed to strengthening the transatlantic alliance and President Trump's promise to increase US defence capabilities means the alliance is stronger today.’
German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen called the new deployments ‘a welcome sign of the vitality of transatlantic relations’ and ‘a commitment to common security.’
Trump has long complained that European NATO members do not pay enough for their own defence, singling out Germany for particular criticism.
At a NATO summit in July 2018, Trump called Germany ‘a captive of Russia’ because of its energy links and a major new gas pipeline project in the works.
NATO allies agreed at a summit in Wales in 2014 to move towards spending 2% of GDP on defence by 2024. But Germany, Europe's biggest economy, spends just 1.2%, compared with 3.5% for the US.
The US Army Europe statement said the force structure change was a result of a wider 2017 directive to build up the ranks.
It said in a statement: ‘As the US Army grows, a significant portion of that growth will take place in Europe as the mission to defend NATO allies and deter aggression continues to be a priority.’
More from Defence Notes
-
![Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft]()
Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft
The procurement and acceleration production plans – some of which still await approval – across the air and land domains will aim to strengthen the operational needs of the Israel Defense Forces.
-
![Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts]()
Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts
More than 40,000 military personnel from 19 participating nations took part in the 11th iteration of the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre multi-domain event which was held across Australia and in Papua New Guinea.
-
![US Africa Command targets logistic solutions]()
US Africa Command targets logistic solutions
AFRICOM is seeking IT systems and supply chain management solutions to enhance interoperability and standardise logistical processes in its area of responsibility.
-
![Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending]()
Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending
Germany’s Rheinmetall released its 1H 2025 results on 7 August, continuing the strong growth of recent years. A particular highlight of the result’s presentation was the Skyranger air defence system for which the company is predicting sales of about US$8.2 billion from the German Government before the end of the year.
-
![Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave]()
Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave
Vehicle and technology companies are reporting substantial growth compared to the first half of 2024. Italy’s Fincantieri saw revenues jump 24% for the first half of the year compared to 2024 and Thales up 6.8% for the same period. General Dynamics reported second quarter revenue growth of 8.9% for the second quarter compared to last year and MilDef reported organic order intake growth of 58%.
