BERLIN — Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg on Monday unveiled plans to restructure Germany’s armed forces in what is regarded as one of the most radical military shake-ups since the end of the Cold War.

The measures include ending conscription, reducing the Bundeswehr, or armed forces, to 163,000 from 250,000 and streamlining the command structures. The goal is to turn the military into a highly professional and flexible corps.

“The Bundeswehr will be smaller and more capable,” Mr. Guttenberg said in a brief statement after explaining his proposals to the parliamentary factions, adding that the final details would be worked out over the next few months. “This is now the beginning of a really important debate.”

But some security experts were skeptical about the overall impact of the changes.

“The reforms certainly mark the end of the transformation of the armed forces since the end of the Cold War,” said Markus Kaim, a defense expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “The flaw is that the reforms have not been coordinated with the European Union or NATO, particularly since Germany is involved in so many of the E.U. and NATO missions.”