Germany launches drive to add military recruits without conscription for now

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's leaders on Wednesday launched a drive to attract more people into voluntary military service as the country scrambles to strengthen its armed forces in the face of growing fears about Russian aggression, a project that some in the governing coalition say doesn't go far enough.

Germany, a leading NATO and European Union member, has moved to modernize its long-neglected military since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That year, it set up a 100 billion euro ($117 billion) special fund to modernize the Bundeswehr, much of which has been committed to procuring new equipment.

New Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition this year pushed plans through parliament to enable higher defense spending by loosening strict rules on incurring debt. Merz has said repeatedly he wants the Bundeswehr to be "the strongest conventional army in Europe.”

The government is redoubling its efforts to attract more recruits, which the military struggled to do in recent years. Germany had some 181,000 active servicepeople at the end of last year. But the government says it needs to increase that in the long term to 260,000, plus some 200,000 reservists.

“The Bundeswehr must grow — the international security situation, above all Russia's aggressive behavior, make this necessary," Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Wednesday. “We need not just well-equipped forces, we are going at full speed on that ... we also need a Bundeswehr that is strong in terms of personnel. Only then is deterrence toward Russia really credible.”

Pistorius spoke after Merz's Cabinet approved his plan for a new military service system. It aims to draw sufficient recruits without reviving compulsory conscription for men, which was suspended in 2011, but leaves the door open for parliament to do so if not enough people volunteer.

The plan foresees more attractive pay and conditions for people who agree to join the military for short periods and what Pistorius describes as attractive training offers for those who join up for at least six months, as well as flexibility on how long people can serve.

Beginning next year, the government plans to send questionnaires to young men and women turning 18 about their willingness and ability to serve in the military. Starting in mid-2027, young men will be required to undergo medical examinations, though not to sign up for the military.

The plan still needs parliamentary approval. It was authorized at a Cabinet meeting held for the first time in many years at the Defense Ministry. Before the decision, NATO’s supreme commander in Europe, U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, briefed ministers on the security environment.

But there has been tension in the conservative Merz's coalition with Pistorius' center-left Social Democrats over whether the new system should foresee an automatic return to compulsory service if the military can't draw enough volunteers.

Some conservatives pushed unsuccessfully for compulsory service. But Pistorius says the conditions aren't in place at the moment as sufficient barracks and trainers aren't currently available.

The plan allows for the government to move toward compulsory service “if, in the course of the next one, two or three years, we see that the target figures aren't being reached," Merz said. He added he was “confident, at least from today's point of view, that in any case to begin with we will reach the figures we need.”

A senior conservative ally of the chancellor, Bavarian governor Markus Söder, told ARD television Sunday that Pistorius' plan is “a first step in the right direction.”

“I don't think we are going to manage with these appeals, by making the Bundeswehr a bit more attractive,” Söder said. “I think there won't be a way past compulsory service. ... Some say (Russian President Vladimir) Putin could be in a position to challenge NATO in 2027, others in 2029 — why wait if we already know today at least that the danger is there?”

Later Wednesday, Pistorius joined Germany's vice chancellor, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and others to inaugurate a new artillery ammunition factory built by defense company Rheinmetall at its Unterluess site in northern Germany, a project that underlines Europe's efforts to ramp up its weapons production.

Rheinmetall aims to produce 350,000 artillery shells a year at the facility. The inauguration only 18 months after a groundbreaking ceremony is “a strong signal that we are increasing the reliability of our supplies here in Germany," Pistorius said.

Rutte said that “we are being challenged” by Russia and China, “but Europe and America together are on course to turn the tide on defense production.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, from left, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, CEO Armin Papperger and German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil arrive for the inauguration of the newly built artillery ammunition plant by German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall in Unterluess, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, center, gestures besides NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, background right, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, foreground right, and German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, background center, while the inauguration of the newly built artillery ammunition plant by German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall in Unterluess, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

From left to right, German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) Chief of Defence Carsten Breuer, NATO SACEUR General Alexus Grynkewich, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil pose for a group picture prior to the Cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius pose for a group picture prior to the Cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States said Sunday it rescued a service member missing behind enemy lines since Iran downed a fighter jet, as President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Tehran with a new looming deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran showed no signs of backing down, striking economic and infrastructure targets in neighboring Gulf Arab countries.

The airman’s extraction followed a U.S. search-and-rescue operation after the Friday crash of the F-15E Strike Eagle, as Iran also promised a reward for anyone who turned in an “enemy pilot.” Trump said he was injured but in stable condition.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour,” Trump wrote on social media.

A second crew member was rescued earlier.

The fighter jet was the first American aircraft to have crashed in Iranian territory since the U.S. and Israel launched the war, striking Iran on Feb. 28. The war has since killed thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices. Both sides have threatened and hit civilian targets, bringing warnings of possible war crimes.

Trump said last week that the U.S. had “decimated” Iran and would finish the war “very fast.” Two days later, Iran shot down two U.S. military planes, showing the ongoing perils of the bombing campaign and the ability of a degraded Iranian military to continue to hit back.

As Iran continues to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz, Trump, in a weekend social media post, threatened to unleash “all Hell” if it isn’t opened by Monday. He has issued such threats before and extended them when mediators have claimed progress toward ending the war on agreeable terms.

The other jet to go down was a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft. Neither the status of the crew nor exactly where it crashed was immediately known.

On Sunday, Iran’s state TV aired a video showing what it claimed were parts of American aircraft shot down by Iranian forces, along with a photo of thick, black smoke rising into the air. The broadcaster said Iran had shot down an American transport plane and two helicopters that were part of the rescue operation.

However, a regional intelligence official briefed on the mission told The Associated Press that the U.S. military blew up two transport planes due to a technical malfunction, forcing it to bring in additional aircraft to complete the rescue.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the covert mission.

In Kuwait, an Iranian drone attack caused significant damage to two power plants and put a water desalination station out of service, according to the Ministry of Electricity. No injuries were reported from the attack, the ministry said.

In Bahrain, the national oil company said that a drone attack caused a fire at one of its storage facilities, which was extinguished. It said the damage was still being assessed and no injuries had been reported.

In the United Arab Emirates, authorities responded to multiple fires at the Borouge petrochemicals plant that they said were caused by intercepted debris. Production at the plant in Ruwais, near the UAE’s western border with Saudi Arabia, was halted.

The strike came a day after Israel struck a petrochemical plant in Iran that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said generated revenue that it had used to fund the war.

Trump renewed his threats for Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz by Monday or face devastating consequences, writing Saturday in a social media post: “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.”

The waterway is a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments, especially oil and gas moving from the Persian Gulf to Europe and Asia. Disruptions there have injected volatility into the market and pushed oil and gas-importing countries to seek alternative sources.

“The doors of hell will be opened to you” if Iran’s infrastructure is attacked, Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi with the country’s joint military command said late Saturday in response to Trump’s renewed threat, state media reported. In turn, the general threatened all infrastructure used by the U.S. military in the region.

But Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, told the AP that his government’s efforts to broker a ceasefire are “right on track” after Islamabad last week said that it would soon host talks between the U.S. and Iran.

Mediators from Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt were working to bring the U.S. and Iran to the negotiating table, according to two regional officials.

The proposed compromise includes a cessation of hostilities to allow a diplomatic settlement, according to a regional official involved in the efforts and a Gulf diplomat briefed on the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door diplomacy.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, issued a veiled threat late Friday to disrupt traffic through a second strategic waterway in the region, the Bab el-Mandeb.

The strait, 32 kilometers (20 miles) wide, links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. More than a tenth of seaborne global oil and a quarter of container ships pass through it.

“Which countries and companies account for the highest transit volumes through the strait?” Qalibaf wrote.

More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began.

In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel and 13 U.S. service members have been killed. In Lebanon, more than 1,400 people have been killed and more than 1 million people have been displaced. Ten Israeli soldiers have died there.

This report has been corrected to show that Borealis is an Austrian company and not Australian.

Metz reported from Jerusalem and Magdy from Cairo. Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Vehicles and motorcycles move past an anti-U.S. billboard depicting the American aircrafts into the Iranian armed forces fishing net with signs that read in Farsi: "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed, The entire Persian Gulf is our hunting ground," at the Eqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

In this image provided by Sepahnews, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's official website, wreckage is shown at what Iran's state TV claimed was the site of a downed American transport plane and two helicopters involved in a rescue operation, in Isfahan province, Iran, April, 2026. (Sepahnews via AP)

In this image provided by Sepahnews, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's official website, wreckage is shown at what Iran's state TV claimed was the site of a downed American transport plane and two helicopters involved in a rescue operation, in Isfahan province, Iran, April, 2026. (Sepahnews via AP)

In this image provided by Sepahnews, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's official website, black smoke rises into the air at what Iran's state TV claimed was the site where an American transport plane and two helicopters involved in a rescue operation were shot down, in Isfahan province, Iran, April, 2026. (Sepahnews via AP)

In this image provided by Sepahnews, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's official website, wreckage is shown at what Iran's state TV claimed was the site of a downed American transport plane and two helicopters involved in a rescue operation, in Isfahan province, Iran, April, 2026. (Sepahnews via AP)

Members of Lebanon's General Security stand at the Masnaa border crossing in the Bekaa valley, eastern Lebanon, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A man, who fled Israeli bombings in southern Lebanon with his family, sleeps in his car used as shelter, along a seaside promenade in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Followers of Iraq's Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans as they wave national Iraqi flag during a protest against U.S. and Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran, in Tahrir Square, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

A bedroom is damaged in a building struck in an Israeli airstrike in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Pedetrians walk by a destroyed building within the Grand Hosseiniyeh, with the mosque visible in the background, which officials at the site say was hit by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes Tuesday, in Zanjan, Iran, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Police officers and their horses take cover in an underground parking garage as sirens warn of an incoming missile fired from Yemen in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Maya Levin)

A man looks at a destroyed building within the Grand Hosseiniyeh complex that officials say was hit by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes Tuesday in Zanjan, Iran, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)