Digital rearmament: The Bundeswehr is looking for IT experts

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Interest in the Bundeswehr as an employer is much greater than most expect: the Bundeswehr received 51,200 applications according to its own information for military service last year. That was 19 percent more than the previous year. For the civilian sector, 88,300 applications were received, an increase of 41 percent. This makes a total of 139,500 applications, an increase of one third. Other employers can only dream of such great interest.

Recruiting specialists is a challenge

Nevertheless, "Recruiting specialists is also a challenge for us, for example when it comes to IT specialists or medical personnel," says a spokesperson for the Cyber and Information Domain Command. This is a separate branch of the Bundeswehr. According to him, the reason for the increase in applicant numbers lies in the new and successful measures for recruiting young people, which have been implemented since 2023. "With contemporary and innovative formats, we reach the young target group where they are: whether at transport hubs like train stations, in shopping centers, on the internet, or on social media." The average age of applicants is around 23 years.

However, the high number of applicants does not mean that the number of soldiers is increasing rapidly. Of the good 50,000 applications, 20,300 ultimately led to hiring. Last year, this was an increase of 1500 hires compared to the previous year, an 8 percent increase.

High dropout rate

However, four hires in 2024 were offset by around early departures from service in the armed forces. Dropouts in the first six months of service were and are a challenge for the Bundeswehr. It wants to reduce the high dropout rate "for example, through more transparent expectation management before service begins, offers close to home, and alternative service options if necessary." In total, approximately 16,000 female and male soldiers left the Bundeswehr in 2024, for example, because their contracts as contract soldiers expired.

At the end of 2024, the personnel strength of the Bundeswehr was almost unchanged compared to the previous year at 181,150 female and male soldiers. The proportion of women is 13.6 percent, which is significantly lower than the national average of all employees, which is almost half. The number of reservists was 49,200. These personnel strengths are no longer sufficient.

"Fulfilling NATO objectives and other requirements related to national and alliance defense require, in a first rough estimate, a total Bundeswehr strength of approximately 460,000 female and male soldiers," says the spokesperson. This means at least about 260,000 active soldiers and around 200,000 reservists. This increase is expected to occur through the 2030s.

Since the suspension of conscription in 2011, the Bundeswehr has been a professional army, as the armed forces consist essentially of professional and contract soldiers. They serve voluntarily and are no longer conscripted due to conscription. With the end of conscription, voluntary military service was introduced. It lasts at least seven and a maximum of 23 months. As of August 2025, a total of 10,724 individuals are performing voluntary military service in the Bundeswehr, including 1817 women.

Conscription reform from 2026

On Wednesday evening, November 12, 2025, the governing parties from the CDU/CSU and SPD agreed on a reform of conscription. According to this, service will initially remain voluntary, provided enough male volunteers come forward. From 2026, young people born in 2008 or later will receive a questionnaire asking about their willingness to serve in the Bundeswehr. Men must fill it out, women can choose to do so.

It was also agreed that all 18-year-old men will be compulsorily examined. If the troop strength does not increase by around 80,000 to 260,000 female and male soldiers by 2035, conscription will be reactivated. If this happens, a lottery will be held among all those examined to determine who must join the Bundeswehr. The number of 200,000 reservists is to be achieved primarily through the new conscription service.

At the end of August 2025, the Bundeswehr had 182,357 uniformed female and male soldiers. Most serve in one of the four branches of the armed forces, consisting of the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Cyber and Information Domain (CIR). The latter was only founded in 2017 and is therefore the youngest. With approximately 13,700 positions, it is also the smallest in terms of personnel. These positions are distributed across around 25 different service units. They include battalions for information technology, as well as battalions for "Electronic Warfare" and the Center for Cybersecurity. Many IT specialists work in the CIR, and more are needed for the expansion of the digital Bundeswehr. "However, the Army, Navy, and Air Force also have IT capabilities in various roles," says the CIR spokesperson.

The service unit where IT specialists are deployed and the tasks they perform are determined, according to the spokesperson, primarily by the personnel planning of the Federal Office for the Management of the Bundeswehr Personnel, the respective mission of the service unit, but also by personal interests. Because the range of IT tasks is very broad, there should be something for every IT enthusiast.

IT specialists sought

"In terms of numbers, the greatest demand for IT specialists is among non-commissioned officers and sergeants. Officers in the Cyber and IT sector who wish to pursue a STEM degree at the Bundeswehr are also particularly sought after," the spokesperson continues.

For positions with an IT background, there are usually two types of personnel. On the one hand, there are those who come from another Bundeswehr activity. Here, the training and expertise already acquired play a major role. Follow-up courses to acquire or deepen specialized knowledge are quite common. On the other hand, many IT positions are also filled by new entrants to the Bundeswehr. "This group of people receives appropriate training as non-commissioned officers, sergeants, or officers in coordination with their existing prior education," says the spokesperson.

Example IT in the CIR: Existing IT and computer science knowledge would be an excellent, but not strictly necessary, foundation, as the Bundeswehr teaches the necessary knowledge through its own training facilities. The classic administrator of IT systems is a sergeant. The qualification for the sergeant career path ranges from journeyman to master craftsman compared to the civilian world. Advancement to the officer career path is possible. Officer candidates can study Digital Engineering or Computer Science at the Bundeswehr Universities in Hamburg and Munich, for example. Further specialized training and any required additional qualifications are obtained through the CIR training center or through civilian cooperation partners. The existing expertise is then used in the areas of Cyber/IT, Electronic Warfare, Geoinformation Systems, or Operational Communication.

"Please understand that in the current security policy situation, for reasons of military security, we cannot communicate specific numbers of open specialist positions or details about training content," says the spokesperson. Due to the high specialization and the currently rigid staffing structure, positions for soldiers in voluntary military service in the CIR play a rather subordinate role.

(mho)