The Ministry of Defence has revealed that the withdrawal of the British Army from Germany, completed in 2019, has cost approximately £2.13 billion since the process began in 2010.
This information was disclosed in response to a parliamentary question from John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington, who inquired about the financial implications of the UK’s military exit from Germany.
Luke Pollard, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, stated, “From the start of withdrawal in 2010 to date, it has cost approximately £2.13 billion to remove the British Army footprint from Germany.”
The large-scale withdrawal marked the end of decades of British military presence in Germany, which began after World War II and continued throughout the Cold War.
In a separate inquiry, McDonnell also asked for a list of sites that the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) still owns or operates in Germany. Pollard provided details on the remaining locations that are either owned or operated by the MOD, which continue to play a role in British military activities abroad.
Pollard listed the following sites owned by the MOD in Germany:
- Ayrshire Barracks in Mönchengladbach
- Athlone Barracks in Paderborn
- Normandy Barracks in Sennelager, which includes:
- Antwerp Barracks
- Talbot Barracks
- Cavalry Barracks
- Polish Barracks
- Depot 90
- Sennelager NAAFI
- The British Alpine Centre in Wittenberg
He also mentioned that the British Army uses the Wulfen site in Dorsten for ammunition storage, although the site itself is owned by Germany.
The retention of these sites highlights the continued, albeit reduced, British military presence in Germany, even after the formal withdrawal. These locations still support UK military operations, and the overall cost of maintaining these assets continues to be part of the Ministry’s operational budget.
This disclosure provides a clearer picture of the financial and logistical dimensions of the UK’s military presence in Germany, both during the withdrawal process and in the current post-withdrawal landscape.
