NATO chiefs pick German general Breuer to lead alliance's Military Committee

NATO's 32 chiefs of defense elected Gen. Carsten Breuer, Germany's top military officer, as the next chair of the alliance's Military Committee during their conference in Copenhagen, Euronews reported Saturday. The outgoing chair, Italian Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, announced the result on social media.

Breuer will begin a three-year mandate in July 2027, according to Euronews. NATO's own account of the meeting said he would assume the post in summer 2027. In the role he will act as the principal military adviser to Secretary-General Mark Rutte and carry the recommendations of allied chiefs of staff to the alliance's political leadership.

Together with the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, the chair of the Military Committee ranks among the most influential military positions in NATO, Euronews noted.

Berlin welcomes the vote

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius praised the decision, crediting Breuer with "exceptional strategic foresight" and a central part in modernizing the Bundeswehr. "Now he will bring all his strength and experience to NATO, which faces major, historic challenges," Pistorius said, in a reference to the growing threat Berlin sees from Russia.

Breuer has been inspector general of the Bundeswehr since March 2023. Before that he built and led the armed forces' Territorial Command and ran the Federal Chancellery's pandemic crisis team under then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz. An air defense officer who joined the military in 1984, he is married with three children.

Copenhagen agenda

The election came at the close of the two-day Military Committee Conference, held Sept. 18-19 and hosted by Denmark. NATO said the 32 chiefs of defense met with the alliance's two strategic commanders, Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Adm. Pierre Vandier, the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. Gen. Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard represented Denmark.

According to NATO, the chiefs focused on carrying out the decisions of the Ankara summit, with an emphasis on strengthening collective deterrence and defense, speeding up allied readiness across multiple domains and signaling to the defense industry that "Allies are ready to buy at scale." Cavo Dragone said the meeting would address "collective deterrence and defence, innovation and technology, and accelerated adoption of new defence capabilities."

The outgoing chair also pointed to Moscow's conduct. "We have seen once again the reckless behaviour of Russia, including airspace violations, drone incidents, hybrid activities and attempts to test Allied resolve," Cavo Dragone said. Hyldgaard said the allies had again shown their commitment to strengthening the alliance, to innovation and technology and to support for Ukraine.

What it means: Breuer's election places a German officer at the top of NATO's military advice chain at a moment when the alliance's own chair is publicly cataloging Russian airspace violations and drone incidents. Pistorius framed the appointment around those same threats, and Breuer's background in territorial defense and crisis management matches the Copenhagen agenda of readiness and rapid procurement. With the mandate starting in mid-2027, the appointment also signals that Berlin's rising defense investment is translating into institutional weight inside NATO's planning structures, where the Military Committee chair and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe shape how the alliance prepares its eastern flank.