BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany’s cabinet passed a draft bill on Wednesday that would introduce first a voluntary military service, and could lead to conscription if recruitment goals are missed, the government said in a statement.

The defence ministry hopes the voluntary six-month scheme will help double the number of trained reservists from the current level of around 100,000 and that some of the volunteers will go on to have a career in active service.

Minister Boris Pistorius wants to increase the number of soldiers in service from 180,000 to 260,000 by the early 2030s to meet new NATO force targets and strengthen its defences – part of a planned surge in military spending.

(Reporting by Markus Wacket, Andreas Rinke and Sarah Marsh, Editing by Miranda Murray)

See Full Page