As the German economy continues to surge forward, leaving other European and developed world economies behind, the German government's austerity measures are starting to face pressure. A particular area of contention is the planned EUR8.3bn (US$12bn) in cuts planned for the defence department, which comes as German commitments to international multilateral missions are being put under increasing pressure, particularly in Afghanistan. The new German defence minister, Thomas de Maiziere, has refused to endorse his predecessor's commitment to the spending cuts, saying that the Army has been structurally underfunded for many years.
The German government has continued to resist pressure from other European states to join the international mission in Libya. The Berlin government has, however, announced that it is open to a plan which would see Germany contribute troops and resources to a potential peacekeeping force after the Libyan leader Coloneli Qadhaf is deposed. The German defence minister, Thomas de Maiziere, has said that Germany supports NATO's aims in the conflict, but that it still does not intend to participate militarily.
The junior coalition partner in Germany's government, the FDP, has rejected a proposal from the interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich to allow the use of the military in counter-terror operations within German borders. Minister Friedrich has said that police resources are not sufficient to contain terror threats in certain extreme situations, necessitating the change in the law. Such a change would require altering the German constitution, the Basic Law. The FDP has refused to be a part of such a change and it is unlikely that the measure will win support from the opposition parties, the SPD, the Greens or the left-wing Die Linke.
The German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, has attacked critics who claim that Germany has not been doing enough to assist the international mission in Libya. German had voiced opposition to the decision to use military force to intervene in Libya, along with Turkey. The country's diplomatic mission to the United Nations abstained during voting on a Security Council resolution which created a no-fly zone in Libya.
Certain MEPs have attacked Westerwelle's policy on this matter, saying that it has isolated Germany internationally and has underscored a lack of commitment on Germany's part to combat terrorism around the world. Westerwelle 'totally rejected' this criticism, saying that Germany was committed to the international counter-terror effort. Furthermore, Westerwelle emphasised that the German government is opposed to the continued rule of Qadhafi in Libya. Berlin's stance, however, has been to focus on a political solution to the conflict.

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Executive Summary 5
SWOT Analysis 6
Germany Security SWOT 6
Germany Defence SWOT 6
Political SWOT 7
Economic SWOT 7
Germany Business Environment SWOT 8
Global Political Outlook 9
Japan After The Quake 10
Global Hotspots: Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, Korea 11
Wild Cards To Watch 15
Europe Security Overview 17
Europe In A Global Context 17
Europe's Key Security Issues Over The Coming Decade 17
Security Risk Ratings 24
Table: Europe Security Risk Ratings 24
Table: Europe State Terrorism Vulnerability To Terrorism Index 25
City Terrorism Rating 25
Table: BMI’s Western Europe City Terrorism Index 26
Germany Security Overview 27
Domestic Terrorism 27
Latest Developments 27
Timeline: Internal Threats 28
International Terrorism 32
Latest Developments 33
Timeline: External Threats 34
Armed Forces And Government Spending 40
Defence Posture 40
Defence Reform 41
Conscription 42
International Deployments 43
Table: Germany International Deployments 44
Coordination And Joint Operations 45
Weapons Of Mass Destruction 45
Market Overview 47
Arms Trade Overview 48
Industry Trends And Developments 51
Procurement Background 53
Table: Key Players In Germany’s Defence Industry 56
Latest Developments 57
Timeline: Defence And Procurement 57
Industry Forecast Scenario 64
Armed Forces 64
Table: Germany’s Armed Forces, 2000-2008 (‘000 personnel, unless otherwise stated) 64
Table: Germany’s Available Manpower For Military Services, 2008-2015 (aged 16-49) 64
Defence Expenditure 65
Table: Germany’s Government Expenditure, 2008-2015 66
Defence Trade 67
Table: Germany’s Defence Exports, 2008-2015 (US$bn) 67
Table: Germany’s Defence Imports, 2008-2015 (US$bn) 68
Table: Germany’s Defence Trade Balance, 2008-2015 (US$bn) 68
Macroeconomic Outlook 68
Table: Germany - Economic Activity, 2007-2015 73
Company Profiles 74
EADS 74
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann 77
Rheinmetall Group 79
Country Snapshot: Germany Demographic Data 82
Section 1: Population 82
Table: Demographic Indicators, 2005-2030 82
Table: Rural/Urban Breakdown, 2005-2030 83
Section 2: Education And Healthcare 83
Table: Education, 2002-2005 83
Table: Vital Statistics, 2005-2030 83
Section 3: Labour Market And Spending Power 84
Table: Employment Indicators, 2001-2006 84
Table: Average Annual Manufacturing Wages, 2000-2012 84
Table: Consumer Expenditure, 2000-2012 (US$) 85
BMI Methodology 86
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