BERLIN, April 23. /TASS/. The target number of 460,000 troops and reservists is not the upper limit, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on the ARD TV channel.

According to him, this mark "is not a limit," but "the direction, in which we are moving," and if the needs change or the situation worsens, it may be exceeded.

He said the number of troops is increasing - since he took office, it has grown from about 180,000 to the current 185,000-186,000. The number of applications and recruitment cases is constantly growing. According to him, the task is to ensure fast growth in an orderly manner.

Pistorius did not rule out restoring mandatory service, if voluntary measures fail to achieve the target.

"We will have to discuss and decide on the mandatory requirement," he said.

Such a decision is not on the agenda at the moment because the priority is to achieve this goal with the help of existing tools, the minister said.

Earlier, Pistorius said that Germany intends to increase the number of the Bundeswehr to 260,000 people and increase the number of reservists to 200,000. He also announced plans to fight red tape and use artificial intelligence wider.

On January 1 the law on a new model of military service came into force in Germany. It obliges young people to undergo a medical examination and restores military registration. Recruitment to the Bundeswehr is still voluntary. Under the new law, adult males are required to fill out a questionnaire, answering questions about physical fitness and readiness to join the army. Filling out such questionnaires is voluntary for women.

Compulsory military conscription in Germany was abolished in 2011, after which the transition to a professional army took place.