Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday picked little-known Boris Pistorius to be Germany's new defence minister, putting him in charge of steering the armed forces through an era of momentous change.

The appointment follows the resignation of Christine Lambrecht at a crucial time for the ministry, with Germany under intense pressure to send battle tanks to Ukraine.

Pistorius, 62, who is a member of Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) and interior minister of Lower Saxony state, is a surprise choice for the post.

Much better-known politicians had been thought to be in the running, such as Eva Hoegl, the parliamentary commissioner on the armed forces, and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil.

But the chancellor insisted Pistorius was the right man for the job at a time when Germany is looking to overhaul and revive its armed forces in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Scholz called Pistorius "an extremely experienced politician" who "has been involved in security policy for years and, with his competence, assertiveness and big heart, is exactly the right person to lead the Bundeswehr (armed forces) through this era of change".

- Military overhaul -

Pistorius himself said he found the appointment "very surprising".

However, he pledged to do his utmost to tackle the "new situation that has arisen with the Russian attack on Ukraine".

"The troops can rely on me to be there for them whenever necessary. I want to make the Bundeswehr strong for the time that lies ahead of us," he said.

The appointment, which will officially take effect on Thursday, ends a streak of three female defence ministers, and upends a promise by Scholz when he became chancellor in 2021 to keep his cabinet gender-balanced.

Pistorius has a huge task ahead of him at a time of sweeping change for the Bundeswehr and just as Germany faces a crunch moment in its policy towards the conflict in Ukraine.

The Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which coordinates arms supplies to Kyiv, is due to meet at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday.

Ahead of that meeting, Pistorius will welcome US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin for talks in Berlin on Thursday just after he takes office, with Ukraine at the top of the agenda.

Germany has repeatedly come under fire since the start of the war for dithering over which weapons to send to Ukraine, and is currently under pressure from Kyiv to agree to supply battle tanks.

Russia's invasion prompted Scholz to announce a drastic overhaul of the military after years of chronic underinvestment -- something that Pistorius will now have to oversee.

- 'Strong leader' -

The chancellor pledged to raise military spending to two percent of GDP and to revive the ailing army with a special fund of 100 billion euros ($108 billion).

But Lambrecht, appointed as defence minister in the chancellor's first cabinet, had committed a series of gaffes and was eventually seen as not up to the task.

Patience for the minister finally ran out when she posted a widely ridiculed New Year's video on social media in which she lauded her "special experiences" as defence minister in 2022 against a backdrop of loud fireworks.

The resulting media uproar finally led Lambrecht to announce her resignation on Monday.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who heads the parliamentary defence commission, said Pistorius was someone who "knows the issue of security and how to work with those who are committed to our security".

"He will be judged in Berlin on whether he understands the needs of the troops and is assertive in representing them at the chancellery and the defence ministry," she told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

Hoegl, who herself worked closely with Pistorius during a stint specialising in interior and legal affairs in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, also welcomed the appointment.

"With Boris Pistorius, the troops are getting a committed, strong leader and passionate politician in difficult times," she told the Rheinische Post.

'Red general': Germany's 'brash' new defence chief
Berlin (AFP) Jan 17, 2023 - Boris Pistorius, Germany's incoming defence minister, is an unknown on the world stage but an experienced politician with credentials in security and a history of straight talking.

Pistorius, 62, from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD), will graduate to the job from his current post as interior minister in Lower Saxony state, which he has held since 2013.

Der Spiegel magazine called his appointment "a real surprise" and nicknamed him the "red general" for the colour of the SPD and his hard-charging style.

It described him as a "sharp-tongued" official who has "repeatedly made his mark on domestic policy", especially through much-lauded efforts to reform the police in his state.

"Pistorius is considered impatient, occasionally comes across as brash and can sometimes barely conceal it when he is annoyed with others," public broadcaster NDR wrote of him in September.

However, NDR also praised his ability to "get the job done", while also looking beyond regional concerns "to Europe and to federal politics".

In May last year, Pistorius was forthright about Ukraine's right to recapture territories taken by Russia, putting him at odds with many other Social Democrats who had been reluctant to endorse a counter-offensive.

- 'Well-connected' -

"The recapture of occupied territories is legitimate and completely correct and must also be supported by us. Ukraine must win the war," he told the TV show "Beisenherz".

But he was also critical of calls to destabilise Russia, adding: "There will have to come a time after the war... when we in Europe will be able get along with Russia, in whatever form."

And he was facing accusations from opposition politicians for being too "pro-Kremlin" over comments he made in 2018, in which he questioned sanctions on Russia.

On Tuesday he defended his remarks, telling top tabloid Bild that he did not "criticise the sanctions themselves or their goal, but like many others questioned their effectiveness".

"Today's sanctions cannot be compared to the sanctions from back then, and they do work, as we know."

Born in the northern city of Osnabrueck, Pistorius studied law and worked as an attorney before entering politics in the 1990s, eventually becoming mayor of his hometown.

In Lower Saxony, Pistorius has gained a reputation for his work in renewing the police force and boosting it to combat extremism.

Der Spiegel noted that he is "the most visible" of the state interior ministers, and is "well connected with the security authorities".

He had previously been rumoured to be in the running for the post of federal interior minister, which looks set to be vacated later this year by current postholder Nancy Faeser.

Pistorius is an adaptable politician who has proven several times that he can "communicate robustly", Thomas Jaeger, a political scientist at the University of Cologne, told news broadcaster NTV.

Pistorius completed his own compulsory military service in the early 1980s, going on to membership of the defence committee in the Bundesrat upper house of parliament. He is still a member of the reserve force.

He has two daughters and was widowed in 2015 when his wife died of cancer.

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