Defence

The Bundeswehr currently has around 182,000 troops. The new military service model aims to increase that number by 20,000 over the next year, rising to between 255,000 and 260,000 over the next 10 years, supplemented by approximately 200,000 reservists. From next year, all 18-year-old men and women will be sent a questionnaire to assess their interest and willingness to join the armed forces. It will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women. From July 2027 all men aged 18 will also have to take a medical exam to assess their fitness for duty. If the government's targets are not met, a form of compulsory enlistment could be considered by parliament. If war were to break out, the military would be able to draw on the questionnaires and medical exams for potential recruits. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said despite the new military service plan there was "no cause for concern... no reason for fear". "The more capable of deterrence and defence our armed forces are, through armament through training and through personnel, the less likely it is that we will become a party to a conflict at all," Pistorius said. Defence spending in Germany tumbled after the end of the Cold War, while conscription was suspended in 2011. Given its past, Germany has long been shy of showing military might, but earlier this year Friedrich Merz announced that the rule for German defence "now has to be whatever it takes", following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Around 300,000 young men per year will be affected. The defense minister argues that this is the only way for the Bundeswehr to get an idea of who could be called up in the event of a conflict.

​ Twenty Turkish Airforce personnel died when a military plane crushed on the Georgian side of the Azerbaijan - Georgia border on Tuesday (11 November). The C130 took off from Ganja and was heading to Merzifon, transporting service members that had participated in Azerbaijan's Victory Day celebrations. Half an hour after takeoff, the aircraft lost altitude and broke apart in mid-air over a mountainous area on the Georgian border. Lockheed C130 Hercules have been in service with Turkey since the 1960s and are considered among the most reliable in their class. However, some of these aircraft are 50–60 years old. In October, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced plans to replace them with new C130J Super Hercules models, with deliveries expected to begin in the coming years. All aircraft fragments have already been collected for technical examination. The cause of the crash has not yet been officially determined. A Turkish expert and retired military officer Coşkun Başbuğ noted on CNN Türk, a technical malfunction "should be ruled out" as the cause of the crash. "Various possibilities should be considered, but the first thing to consider is that the C-130 is a time-tested military transport aircraft, the last known incident involving which occurred in 1982." "A technical malfunction should be ruled out as the cause of the crash. The same applies to weather conditions, as the relevant authorities would have reported bad weather. The remaining theories include a mid-air collision, sabotage, or an attack," he emphasized. Former Turkish Armed Forces Logistics Commander and retired Army General Erdoğan Karakuş stated in an interview with Turkish television that although the C-130 aircraft are old, they have undergone a complete modernization in Turkey, and their technical condition is thoroughly inspected before each flight. The Turkish Air Force is expected to operate the C-130 aircraft until 2040. ​