German Defense Minister Peter Struckon Tuesday announced the long expected plan of closing 105 military bases as part of a cost-efficient strategy.

The bases to be closed include nine bases with more than 1,000 personnel and 28 with between 500 and 1,000 personnel, Struck toldGerman lower house of parliament.

"The plan for the changes in bases will begin immediately and be completed by 2010," Struck said.

The closure will save 400 million euros (508 million US dollars)a year in running costs, he said.

The move is part of plans to cut German troops by 35,000 personnel to the level of 250,000, Struck said.

Since 2001, the number of military bases in Germany has been reduced from 605 to 570, while the military forces have been downsized from 300,000 to 285,000.

The base closure and troop downsizing have made more funds available for the military forces to be better equipped and flexible for a global reach, according to the new German military strategy.

Source: Xinhua