Report: calls for Germany's active military reservists to be tripled

Germany's association of military reservists has called for the number of active reservists in the country's army to be tripled.

"In a few years, we should have around 100,000 reservists practising regularly," association president Patrick Sensburg told the German news magazine Stern.

The goal of 100,000 was ambitious, he said, "but that won't even be enough," with a view to the global situation and the Bundeswehr's "readiness for war."

Reservists are predominantly former soldiers of Germany's army, the Bundeswehr, who have not lost their rank.

There are around 34,000 reservists currently serving in regular exercises, which means that they are assigned to a post and perform reservist service there.

The Bundeswehr estimates the number of reservists in the general reserve at around 930,000.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius warned of the dangers of war in Europe in the autumn and presented new defence policy guidelines. In these guidelines, "war capability" is described as a "maxim for action."

Sensburg commented: "The term is suitable for opening everyone's eyes to what we are actually talking about here. Yes, the danger we are facing is called war. Nothing less. Pistorius' choice of words was a wake-up call."