Addressing the country’s military on Bundeswehr Day, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Berlin will boost its defense spending next year, Sputnik reported.

“It’s good that we have been increasing the Bundeswehr’s budget for years for the sake of our security,” she said, “and we will continue to do so next year.”

The chancellor added that the budget increase will allow the German military to acquire more modern equipment to be able to cope with new challenges and tasks, both domestically and abroad.