Defense: Army Inspector Freuding becomes the new Inspector General of the Bundeswehr

Berlin. The Inspector General of the Army, Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, is to become the new Inspector General of the Bundeswehr. He will succeed General Carsten Breuer in February 2027 and thus become the highest-ranking soldier in the Bundeswehr, as the Federal Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday. Breuer will become chairman of the NATO military committee in the new year.

The Bundeswehr is growing rapidly, is firmly anchored in society and is taking on more responsibility within NATO, explained Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). “To do this, it needs a strong, intelligent and convincing leader at its helm.” Lieutenant General Freuding has everything he needs to be a role model for soldiers and lead them “into the new era in which we have to protect ourselves better than in previous decades,” emphasized Pistorius.

The 55-year-old officer, who began his military career in 1990 with the tank reconnaissance force in Ebern, has had a distinguished career in the Bundeswehr. Just over a year ago he was appointed inspector of the army and thus head of the largest of the four branches of the armed forces with around 64,000 soldiers.

Pistorius had already given his close confidant important positions. He not only entrusted Freuding with the leadership of the Ukraine special staff, but also made the general head of the new planning and command staff in the ministry. He held this post until he was promoted to army inspector.

As Inspector General, or GI for short, Freuding will in future be the top military advisor to the Defense Minister and the federal government. He is also the superior of all soldiers and is responsible for planning, preparing and leading operations. He also represents the Bundeswehr externally towards military partners at international level such as the EU or NATO.