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Germany names Army Chief Freuding as next chief of defence

Reuters
Germany names Army Chief Freuding as next chief of defence

BERLIN, Nov 5 (Reuters) - ‌German Army Chief Christian Freuding will become the country's chief ​of ‌defence, assuming the job of Germany's ‌highest-ranking soldier in February 2027, the defence ministry said in a ‌statement on Thursday.

He will succeed Carsten Breuer, who was chosen as the next head of NATO's military committee, the ⁠alliance's top military authority and ‌a key advisory body ⁠for its political leaders.

Freuding became army ​chief in October 2025 after years of overseeing Berlin's arms supplies ​to Kyiv, pushing for the ​implementation ‌of new technology tested in Ukraine and ​initiating a drone regiment in ⁠the German army.

"Lieutenant General ‌Freuding embodies ​camaraderie and the ​values of our Bundeswehr," Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in the statement.

"He is guided by a clear moral ‌compass. He has impressively demonstrated that, even in times of major changes ‌and ​challenges, he keeps a cool head, makes the right decisions quickly, and puts them into action," added the minister.

(Reporting ‌by Sabine SieboldEditing by Ludwig Burger)