Bundeswehr

Bundeswehr

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The Bundeswehr (Federal Defense Force) is the organization that controls andadministers the armed forces of Germany.

Armed Forces of Germany

Military manpower

Military agemandatory 18 years ofage

Availabilitymales age 18-49:18,917,537 (2005 est.)

Fit for militaryservice

males age 18-49:15,258,931 (2005 est.)

Reaching militaryage annually

males: 497,048 (2005est.)

Expenditure

Amount€27.9 bln. (FY06)(approx. $33 bln.)

Percent of GDP 1.3% (FY06)

Command

Commander-in-Chief Franz-Josef Jung

Inspector General Wolfgang Schneiderhan

General information

The Bundeswehr is a federal defence force with Army (Heer), Navy (Marine), Air Force (Luftwaffe),Joint Service Support Command (Streitkräftebasis), and Central Medical Services (ZentralerSanitätsdienst) branches.

The Bundeswehr has some 250,000 military personnel, 50,000 of whom are 18 to 25 year-old conscriptswho serve for at least nine months under current rules. The number of civilian employees is to bereduced to 75,000 during the coming years.

Women have served in the medical service since 1975. In 2000, in a lawsuit brought up by Tanja Kreil,the European Court of Justice issued a ruling allowing women to serve in more roles than previouslyallowed. Since 2001 they can serve in all functions of service without restriction, but they are not subjectto conscription. There are presently around 13,000 women on active duty and a number of femalereservists who take part in all duties including peacekeeping missions and other operations.

History

The Cold War period 1955-1990

Germany had been without its own armed forces since the Wehrmacht was dissolved in the yearsfollowing World War II. Some smaller forces continued to exist as Border guard or naval minesweepingunits, but not as a national defence force. The responsibility for the security of Germany as a wholerested with the four Allied Powers: the U.S., the UK, France, and the Soviet Union. Germany wascompletely demilitarised and any plans for a German military were forbidden by Allied regulations.

There was a discussion between the United States, the United Kingdom, and France over the issue of arevived German military. In particular, France was reluctant to allow Germany to rearm in light ofrecent history. However, after the project for a European Defence Community failed in the FrenchNational Assembly in 1954, France agreed to West German accession to NATO and rearmament.

With growing tensions between the Soviet Union and the West especially after the Korean War, thispolicy was to be revised. While East Germany was already secretly rearming, the seeds of a new WestGerman force started in 1950, when former high ranking German officers were tasked by chancellorKonrad Adenauer to discuss the options for West German rearmament. The results of a meeting in themonastery of Himmerod formed the conceptual base to build the new armed forces in West Germany.The "Amt Blank" (Bureau Blank, named after its director Theodor Blank), the predecessor of the laterFederal Ministry of Defence, was formed the same year to prepare the establishment of the future forces.Hasso von Manteuffel, a former general of the Wehrmacht and liberal politician, submitted the nameBundeswehr for the new forces. This name was later confirmed by the German Bundestag.

The Bundeswehr was officially established on the 200th birthday of Scharnhorst in 1955. After anamendment of the Basic Law in 1955, West Germany became a member of NATO. In 1956,conscription for all men between the ages of 18 and 45 was introduced, later augmented by a civilalternative with longer duration (see Conscription in Germany). In parallel, East Germany formed itsown military force, the Nationale Volksarmee which was eventually dissolved with the reunifcation ofGermany in 1990.

A former Luftwaffe F-104 Starfighter at Le Bourget

During the Cold War the Bundeswehr was the backbone of NATO's conventional defense in CentralEurope. It had a strength of 495,000 military and 170,000 civilian personnel. The Army consisted ofthree corps with 12 divisions, most of them heavily armed with tanks and APCs. The Air Force ownedsignificant numbers of tactical combat aircraft and took part in NATOs integrated air defence(NATINAD). The Navy was tasked and equipped to defend the Baltic Approaches, to provide escortreinforcement and resupply shipping in the North Sea and to contain the Soviet Baltic Fleet.

Unification of West and East Germany 1990

After reunification in 1990, the Bundeswehr was reduced to 370,000 military personnel in accordancewith the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany between the two German governmentsand the Allies (2+4 Treaty). The former East German Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) was disbanded. Asmall portion of its personnel and material were absorbed into the Bundeswehr.

About 50,000 Volksarmee personnel were integrated into the Bundeswehr on 2 October 1990. Thisfigure was rapidly reduced as conscripts and short-term volunteers completed their service. A number ofsenior officers (but no generals or admirals) received limited contracts for up to two years to continuedaily operations. Personnel remaining in the Bundeswehr were awarded new contracts and newBundeswehr ranks, dependent on their individual qualification and experience. Many received andaccepted a lower rank than previously held in the Volksarmee. These were seen as demotions by critics.

In general, the unification process of the military - under the slogan "Armee der Einheit"/"Army ofUnity" - is publicly seen as a major success and an example for other parts of the society.

With the reduction, a large amount of the military hardware of the Bundeswehr, as well as of theVolksarmee, had to be disposed of. A majority of armored vehicles and fighter jet aircraft weredismantled under international disarmament procedures. Ships were scrapped or sold, often to the Balticstates and Indonesia, the latter receiving 39 former Volksmarine vessels of various types.

Mission

The role of the Bundeswehr is described in the German Basic Law (Art. 87a) as defensive only. After1990, the international situation had changed from East-West-confrontation to general uncertainty andinstability. Today, after a ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court in 1994 the term defence has beendefined to not only include protection of the borders of Germany, but also crisis reaction and conflictprevention - or more broadly as guarding the security of Germany anywhere in the world. According tothe definition given by former Defence Minister Struck, it may be necessary to defend Germany even atthe Hindu Kush. This requires the Bundeswehr to take part in operations outside of the borders ofGermany, as part of NATO or the European Union and mandated by the UN.

Organization and command structure

With the growing number of missions abroad it was recognized that the Bundeswehr required a totallynew command structure. A reform commission under the chairmanship of the former Federal PresidentRichard von Weizsäcker presented its recommendations in spring 2000.

In October 2000 the Joint Service Support Command, the Streitkräftebasis, was established toconcentrate logistics and other supporting functions such as military police and communications underone command. Medical support was reorganized with the establishment of the Central Medical Services.

The combat forces of the Army are organized into 5 combat divisions and also participates in multi-national command structures at the corps level. There are 3 divisions in the Air Force and 2 flotillas inthe Navy. The Central Medical Services and the Joint Service Support Command are each organizedinto four regional commands. All of these services also have general commands for training,procurement, and other general issues. The Joint Service Support Command and the Central MedicalServices are both organized in four regional commands of identical shape.

The minister of defense or the chancellor is supported by the Chief of defense (CHOD,Generalinspekteur) and the service chiefs (Inspekteure) and their respective staffs in his or her functionas commander-in-chief. The CHOD and the service chiefs form the Military Command Council(Militärischer Führungsrat) with functions similar to those of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the UnitedStates. Subordinate to the CHOD is the Armed Forces Operational Command(Einsatzführungskommando). For smaller missions one of the service HQs (e.g. the Fleet Command)exercise command and control of German armed forces on missions abroad.

The Bundeswehr in general is still among the world's most technologically advanced and well-suppliedmilitaries, as befits Germany's overall economic prosperity and infrastructure. Its budget is, however,steadily shrinking and among the lowest military budgets in NATO in terms of share of GDP.

Operations

An infantryman stands at the ready with his G36 during a practice exercise in 2004 (Photo: USNavy)

Frigate "Karlsruhe" of the German Navy rescuing shipwrecked people off the coast of Somaliawhich it is patrolling

Naval Air Wing 5 helicopter Sea King Mk41 in special 30th anniversary colour scheme at Weston-super-Mare, UK, July 2005

Vehicle of the Sanitätsdienst

Vehicle of the Feldjäger

Since the early 1990s the Bundeswehr has become more and more engaged in international operations inand around the former Yugoslavia, and also in other parts of the world like Cambodia or Somalia. Afterthe September 11, 2001 attacks, German forces were employed in most related theaters except Iraq.

Currently there are Bundeswehr forces in:

Afghanistano ISAFo 2,824 personnel

Kosovoo KFORo 3,006 personnel

Bosnia and Herzegovinao EUFOR (former SFOR)o 881 personnelo since 2 December 2004 under European Union Command

Georgiao UNOMIGo 11 personnel

Ethiopia and Eritreao UNMEEo 2 personnel

Horn of Africa/Indian Oceano Enduring Freedomo 333 personnel

Frigates Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Mediterranean Seao Active Endeavouro 190 personnel

1 Frigate 1 Submarine

Sudano UNMISo 36 personnel

Democratic Republic of the Congoo 743 Soldiers and Personnelo Starting July 31 2006 the Bundeswehr will secure Kongo's Capital

Kinshasa while parliamentary and presidential elections are held. Coast of Lebanon

o UNIFIL IIo up to 2400 personnel

2 Frigates 4 Fast Patrol Boats 1 Fleet Supply Ship 1 Tender

In support of Allied stabilization efforts in Iraq, the Bundeswehr is also training the new Iraqi forces inlocations outside Iraq, such as the United Arab Emirates and Germany.

Traditions

Former German military organizations have been the Reichswehr (1921-1935) and the Wehrmacht(1935-1945). The Bundeswehr, however, does not consider itself as their successor and does not followthe traditions of any former German military organization. The official Bundeswehr traditions are basedon three major subjects:

the defense reformers at the beginning of the 19th century such as Scharnhorst,Gneisenau, and Clausewitz

the members of the military resistance against Hitler such as Claus vonStauffenberg and Henning von Tresckow

its own tradition since 1955

As its symbol the Bundeswehr uses a form of the Iron Cross. The Iron Cross has a long history, havingbeen awarded as a military war time decoration for all ranks since 1813, and earlier associated with theTeutonic knights. The name Bundeswehr was proposed by the former Wehrmacht general and liberalpolitician Hasso von Manteuffel.

One of the most visible traditions is the Großer Zapfenstreich, a form of military tattoo that goes back tothe landsknecht era.

Transformation

According to the new thread-scenario facing Germany and its allies, the Bundeswehr is currentlyreorganizing itself. To realize growth in mobility and the enlargement of the airforce's capabilities, thebundeswehr is going to buy 60 A400M transporters as well as 180 EF2000 fighters. To improve thecapabilities of the ground forces it is currently developing a land soldier system and a new generation oftransportation vehicles and light tanks, such as the Fennek or thePuma (IFV) Further the german navy isgoing to buy 3 new Sachsen class frigates and 8 Type 212 submarines

German Army

The German Army is the land component of the Bundeswehr ("Federal Defence Forces") of the FederalRepublic of Germany. Traditionally, the German military forces have been composed of the Army, theNavy, and after the First World War, the Air Force. The Heer was re-formed in the 1950s as the WestGerman Army as part of the Bundeswehr. In October 1990, upon the reunification of Germany, the EastGerman army, the National People's Army (NVA), was integrated into the now unified force.

A German infantryman stands at the ready with his G36 during a practice exercise in 2004

History

Overview

Since Germany first became a modern unified state in 1871, previous names of German military forceshave included:

1919–1935 Reichswehr ("Imperial Defense" and "Imperial Defense Forces")consisting of the Reichsheer (Army) and the Reichsmarine (Navy);

1935–1945 Wehrmacht ("Defense Forces") consisting of the Heer (Army),Kriegsmarine (Navy), and Luftwaffe (Air Force);

West Germanyo 1955–October 1990 Bundeswehr ("Federal Defense Forces") (West

Germany) consisting of the Heer, Bundesmarine (Federal Navy) and Luftwaffe; East Germanyo 1956–October 1990 Nationale Volksarmee ("National People's Army"),

consisting of the Landstreitkräfte (Land Forces), Grenztruppen der DDR (BorderTroops of the GDR), Luftstreitkräfte / Luftverteidigung (Air Forces / Air Defense)and the Volksmarine (People's Navy).

October 1990–present Bundeswehr: Heer, Bundesmarine and Luftwaffe.

Pre-1914

Following the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo the Prussian Kingdom had years of militarysuccesses in the 19th and 20th centuries. Every able bodied man between the ages of 17 and 45 wasliable for military service. There were 4 classes of service; Active (Aktiv), Reserve, Landwehr andLandsturm. The Landwehr and Landsturm were only called up at times of war. The basic unit of thearmy at this time was the Regiment. Regiments were typically raised and supported by a specific city orregion. Each regiment was then stationed near its home city. The Reserve regiment was often made upof past members of the local regiment. The Landwehr and Landsturm units were also organized thesame way. An individual could spend all 22 years of military service surrounded by their friends andfamily. This created close ties within regiments, however, because of this system, the entire populationof young men from a city or region could be wiped out in one battle.

World War I 1914–1918

The German army that fought in World War I was not in fact a single, unitary army. The four Germankingdoms that existed prior to the unification of Germany in January 1871, Bavaria, Prussia, Saxony andWürttemberg, each retained their own army upon unification. Prussia had the largest army of the four.After the unification and the formation of the German Empire, the Prussian army became the nucleus ofthe Imperial German army (Kaiserliche Armee or Deutsches Reichsheer). By 1914 the German armyfielded 50 active divisions and by 1918 over 250 divisions. The term "German army" did not come intobeing until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

Reichswehr 1918–1935

Following the end of World War I and the collapse of the German Empire most of the German army(Heer) was demobilized or simply dissolved. Many former soldiers drifted into small armed groupsknown as Freikorps. The Freikorps were generally groups of 100 men or fewer that protected aneighbourhood or town. On March 6th, 1919 an army known as the Vorläufige Reichswehr (ProvisionalGerman Defence Force) was formed with about 400,000 men, many drawn form the Freikorps. Then, inSeptember 30, 1919 the Übergangsheer (Transitional Army) was created from the Defence Force andthe Freikorps. Finally, on January 1, 1921 the 100,000 man Reichswehr was formed with 7 InfantryDivisions and 3 Cavalry Divisions. It was the Reichswehr who crushed Adolf Hitler's Beer Hall Putschin Munich in November 1923.

Wehrmacht 1935–1945

Wehrmacht troops during a training.

Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Reichswehr was only allowed 100,000 men split between the Armyand the Navy. In 1933 the Nazi party came to power and began to abrogate the treaty. The Army wasmade part of the Wehrmacht in May 1935 with the passing of the "Law for the Reconstruction of theNational Defence Forces". The Wehrmacht included not just the Army and Navy but also a third branchknown as the Luftwaffe. Initially, the Army was expanded to 21 divisional-sized units and smallerformations. Between 1935 and 1945 this force grew to consist of hundreds of divisions and thousands ofsmaller supporting units. Between 1939 and 1945 close to 13 million served in the Army. Over 1.6million were killed and over 4.1 million were wounded. Of the 7361 men awarded the initial grade ofthe highest German combat honour of WWII, the Knight's Cross, 4777 were from the Army, making up65% of the total awarded. The German Army was implicated in widespread war crimes includingassisting in the genocide of European Jewry during the The Holocaust. The Allies dissolved the GermanArmy on 20 August 1946.

Current Army

BundeswehrTeilstreitkräfte or TSK (Branches)

Heer

Luftwaffe

Marine

Organisationsbereiche (Organisation areas)Sanitätsdienst

Streitkräftebasis

The Bundeswehr Heer was reformed in the 1950s as the Army of West Germany until 1990, and Eastand West Germany after. The army of East Germany was called the Landstreitkräfte, part of NationaleVolksarmee.

Structure

The German Army is commanded by the Chief of Army Staff (Heeresinspekteur) in the FederalMinistry of Defence in Berlin and Bonn. The major commands are the German Army Command inKoblenz and the German Army Office in Cologne.

German Army Command

The German Army Command in Koblenz (Heeresführungskommando) leads all combat units (threearmoured/mechanized divisions, two special divisions and one independent brigade). It is commandedby a general-lieutenant.

German Army Commando HQ Company

Franco-German Brigadeo HQ Company [mixed]o Armoured Engineer Company 550o Light Armoured Regiment [F]o Light Infantry Battalion 292 (Jäger)o Infantry Regiment [F]o Artillery Battalion 295o Support Battalion (mixed)

1st Armoured Divisiono HQ Companyo Army Band 1o Signal Regiment 1o Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion 3o Artillery Regiment 100 Artillery Reconnaissance Battalion 131 Artillery Missile Battalion 132o Light Air Defence Battery 610o Air Defence Regiment 6o Engineer Regiment 1 Heavy Engineer Battalion 130 Armoured Engineer Battalion 1o Light NBC Company 610o NBC Battalion 7o Logistics Battalion 3o Mechanized Infantry Brigade 1 Mechanized Infantry Batallion 421 Mechanized Infantry Batallion 803o Tank Training Brigade 9 HQ Company Armoured Reconnaissance Company 90 Armoured Engineer Company 90 Armoured Battalion 33 Armoured Battalion 93 Mechanized Infantry Battalion 92 Armoured Artillery Battalion 325 Logistics Battalion 141o Armoured Brigade 21 HQ Company Armoured Reconaissance Company 210 Armoured Engineer Company 200 Armoured Battalion 203 Mechanized Infantry Battalion 212 Armoured Artillery Battalion 215 Logistics Battalion 7 10th Armoured Divisiono HQ Companyo Army Band 2o Mechanized Infantry Brigade 30o Armoured Brigade 12 HQ Company Signal Battalion 4 Armoured Recconnaissance Battalion 8 Armoured Battalion 104 Mechanized Infantry Battalion 112

Mechanized Infantry Battalion 122 Engineer Battalion 4 Logistics Battalion 4o Mountain Brigade 23 HQ Company Mountain Signal Battalion 210 Mountain Reconnaissance Battalion 210 Mountain Infantry Battalion 231 (Gebirgsjäger) Mountain Infantry Battalion 232 (Gebirgsjäger) Mountain Infantry Battalion 233 (Gebirgsjäger) Mountain Engineer Battalion 8 Mountain Logistic Battalion 8 Special Operations Divisiono HQ Companyo Army Band 300o Airborne Signal Battaliono Longe Range Reconnaissance Company 200o Light Air Defence Battery 100o Airborne Brigade 26 HQ Company Airborne Reconnaissance Company 260 Airborne Engineer Company 260 Paratrooper Battalion 261 Paratrooper Battalion 263 Air-Assault Support Battalion 262o Airborne Brigade 31 HQ Company Airborne Reconnaissance Company 310 Airborne Engineer Company 270 Paratrooper Battalion 313 Paratrooper Battalion 373 Airborne Support Battalion 272o Special Forces Command HQ and Signal Company 1st Commando Company 2nd Commando Company 3rd Commando Company 4th Commando Company Support Company Training and Research Company

Air Mobile Operations Divisiono HQ Companyo Army Band 12o Signal Bataillono Medium Aviation Regiment 15

o Medium Aviation Regiment 26o Light Aviation Regiment 30o Air Assault Brigade 1 HQ Company Aviation Reconnaissance Squadron 100 Aviation Support Squadron 1 Aviation Mechanic Squadron 1 Light Infantry Regiment 1 (Jäger) Attack Helicopter Regiment 26 Attack Helicopter Regiment 36 Light Aviation Regiment 10o Army Support Brigade HQ Company Light Air Defence Battery 300 Light NBC Company 120 Artillery Reconnaissance Regiment 345 Air Defence Battalion 12 NBC Regiment 750

German soldiers of the 13th Mechanized Infantry Division qualify on the M16 at Würzburg as partof partnership range with the U.S. 1st Infantry Division

13th Mechanized Infantry Divisiono HQ Companyo Army Band 10o Mechanized Infantry Brigade 37 HQ Company Signal Battalion 701 Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion 13

Armoured Battalion 303 Mountain Infantry Battalion 571 (Gebirgsjäger, this bn will be

decommisioned on 30th of March, 2008.) Mechanized Infantry Battalion 371 Mechanized Infantry Battalion 391 Armoured Engineer Battalion 701 Logistics Battalion 131 Reserve Mechanized Infantry Battalion 382 Reserve Armoured Artillery Battalion 25 Reserve Engineer Bridge Battalion 270o Mechanized Infantry Brigade 41 HQ Company Signal Battalion 801 Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion 6 Armoured Battalion 413 Mechanized Infantry Battalion 401 Mechanized Infantry Battalion 411 Engineer Battalion 803 Logistics Battalion 142

Forces Headquarters (ex II. GE/US Corps)o HQ Companyo Signal Battalion 200

I. German/Dutch Corpso HQ Company (German shares)o Signal Battalion (German shares)o HQ Support Battalion (German shares)

EuroCorpso HQ Company (German shares)o Corps Support Brigade Signal Battalion (German shares) HQ Support Battalion (German shares)

Multinational Corps North-Easto HQ Company (German shares)o Signal Battalion (German shares)

German Army Office (Heeresamt)

The German Army Office in Cologne is responsible for administration, education, training and logisticof the German Army. It is commanded by a general-lieutenant or a general-major.

Schools, training centres, and miscellaneous offices:

Airborne Operations and Air Transport School (Luftlande- undLufttransportschule) in Altenstadt (Schongau)

Armoured Corps School (Panzertruppenschule) in Munster, Lower Saxony Army Air Defence School (Heeresflugabwehrschule) in Rendsburg Army Aviation School (Heeresfliegerwaffenschule) in Bückeburg Army Combat Simulation Centre (Gefechtssimulationszentrum des Heeres) in

Wildflecken Army Combat Training Centre (Gefechtsübungszentrum des Heeres) in

Letzlingen Army Human Resources Office (Stammdienststelle des Heeres) in Cologne Army Logistics Centre (Logistikzentrum des Heeres) in Bad Neuenahr-

Ahrweiler Army NCO Academy (Unteroffizierschule des Heeres) in Münster, Delitzsch,

and Weiden in der Oberpfalz Army Officers' Academy (Offizierschule des Heeres) in Dresden Army Tactics Centre (Taktikzentrum des Heeres) in Dresden Army Technical School (Technische Schule des Heeres und Fachschule des

Heeres für Technik) in Aachen Artillery School (Artillerieschule) in Idar-Oberstein Infantry School (Infanterieschule) in Hammelburg Mountain and Winter Combat School (Gebirgs- und Winterkampfschule) in

Mittenwald NBC Defence School (ABC- und Selbstschutzschule) in Sonthofen Sappers' School and Army Technical School for Structural Engineering

(Pionierschule und Fachschule des Heeres für Bautechnik) in Munich SpecOps Training Centre (Ausbildungszentrum Spezielle Operationen) in

Pfullendorf

Corps

In the German Army, unlike in the armies of its neighbours (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark),there are no individual regiments. Instead, individual battalions of infantry, armour, artillery etc aregiven unique numbers.

The German Army distinguishes 11 different branches of service or corps, known asTruppengattungen. Each corps is responsible for education and training of its units, mostly by its ownschools or training centers.

Signal Corps

Units of the signal corps are responsible for communication, strategic reconnaissance and electronicwarfare. Most units of the signal corps belong to the Joint Support Center (Streitkräftebasis).

Signal Units

Stabs- und Fernmeldebataillon 4

Stabs- und Fernmeldebataillon 200

Gebirgsfernmeldebataillon 210

Stabs- und Fernmeldebataillon 701

Stabs- und Fernmeldebataillon 801

Stabs- und Fernmelderegiment 1

Führungsunterstützungsbataillon DLO

Luftlandefernmeldebataillon DSO

Army Reconnaissance Corps

During Army Transformation, the armoured reconnaissance corps (Panzeraufklärungstruppe) wasgiven the new name Heeresaufklärungstruppen. The reason is that the original task of the armouredreconnaissance troops has changed. Today they need artillery drones or specialists from militaryintelligence units.

Reconnaissance Units

Aufklärungskompanie 90

Aufklärungskompanie 210

Luftlandeaufklärungskompanie 260

Luftlandeaufklärungskompanie 310

Fernspählehrkompanie 200

Aufklärungsbataillon 3

Aufklärungsbataillon 6

Aufklärungsbataillon 8

Aufklärungsbataillon 13

Gebirgsaufklärungsbataillon 230

The army reconnaissance corps is equipped with Fennek, Luchs, Wiesel 1, the drone reconnaissancesystem KZO, ALADIN and LunaX, the radar system BÜR (Bodenüberwachungradar), Fuchs andDingo. A typical reconnaissance battalion (Aufklärungsbataillon) is structured in a HQ & supportcompany, two or three armoured reconnaissance companies, a drone reconnaissance company and aseparate military intelligence platoon.

Armoured Corps

The armoured corps (gepanzerte Kampftruppen) are armoured units (Panzertruppe), equipped withmain battle tanks, and mechanized units (Panzergrenadiertruppe) equipped with IFVs.

Armoured Units Mechanized Units Reserve Units

Panzerbatallion 33 Panzergrenadierbataillon 92 Panzergrenadierbataillon 382

Panzerbataillon 92 Panzergrenadierbataillon 112

Panzerbatallion 104 Panzergrenadierbataillon 122

Panzerbataillon 203 Panzergrenadierbataillon 212

Panzerbatallion 303 Panzergrenadierbataillon 371

Panzerbataillon 413 Panzergrenadierbataillon 391

Panzergrenadierbataillon 401

Panzergrenadierbataillon 411

A typical armoured battalion (Panzerbataillon) consists of a HQ & support company and three tankcompanies (equipped with 42 MBTs). The new mechanized battalion (Panzergrenadierbataillon)consists of a HQ & support company and three mechanized companies (equipped with up to 40 Marder1 A5 or Puma). Formerly there was a fifth company with mortars or/and anti-tank units.

Infantry Corps

Within the German Army, there are three types of infantry:

Jäger—Light Infantry / Rangers Gebirgsjäger—Mountain Infantry Fallschirmjäger—Airborne troops

Airborne Troops Mountain Infantery Light Infantry

Fallschirmjägerbatallion 261 Gebirgsjägerbataillon 231 Jägerbatallion 292

Fallschirmjägerbatallion 263 Gebirgsjägerbataillon 232 Jägerregiment 1 (luftbeweglich)

Fallschirmjägerbatallion 313 Gebirgsjägerbataillon 233

Fallschirmjägerbatallion 373 Gebirgsjägerbataillon 571

A typical infantry battalion is structured in a HQ & support company, three light infantry companies andan indirect fire support company ("The Heavy Company"). These company consistis of two anti-tankplatoons (equipped with Wiesel 1, TOW), two machine gun platoons (equipped with Wiesel 1, machinegun 20 mm) and two mortar platoons (today equipped with mortar 120 mm on M113, in future onWiesel 2). Then you find specialised Infantry Platoons like a ski (Skizug) and a mountain ranger platoon(Hochgebirgszug) of the mountain infantery, a HALO platoon (Freifallzug) of the paratroops or K9

dog platoon (Diensthundezug) are found in the HQ & support company (Stabs- undVersorgungskompanie).

Special Forces

Through the Army Transformation the special forces division DSO was formed. Soldiers of the SpecialForces Command (Kommando Spezialkräfte), formerly belonging to the infantry, today have theirown corps.

Artillery Corps

The majority of artillery troops (Artillerietruppe) within the German Army are Panzerartillerie(armoured artillery). After the Army Transformation the German Army will only have six artillery units.The German Army doesn't need as much artillery for its peacekeeping missions as it did during the ColdWar, so the new artillery corps is really smaller, but the units are bigger and stronger.

- Two armoured artillery battalions (Panzerartilleriebataillon) in the two brigades of the1st Armoured Division with a HQ & support battery and three armoured artillerybatteries (equipped with 27 Panzerhaubitze 2000).

- An artillery regiment with HQ Battery in the divisional troops of the 1st ArmouredDivision with:

- An artillery reconnaissance battalion (Panzerartillerieaufklärungsbataillon) with aHQ & support battery, an artillery reconnaissance battery, a drone reconnaissance batteryand two armoured artillery batteries (equipped with Fennek or Marder or Puma, KZO, 2COBRA, 1 SMA, 2 ATMAS, 18 Panzerhaubitze 2000).

- An artillery missile battalion (Raketenartilleriebataillon) with a HQ & support batteryand four artillery missile batteries (equipped with 32 MLRS).

- A mixed artillery battalion (gemischtes Artilleriebataillon) of the Franco-German-Brigade with a HQ & support battery with artillery reconaissance elements, twoarmoured artillery batteries and an artillery missile battery (equipped with 18Panzerhaubitzen 2000, 10 MLRS, 1 KZO, 1 ATMAS, Fennek or Marder or Puma).

- An artillery reconnaissance regiment (Panzerartillerieaufklärungsregiment) with aHQ & support battery, an artillery reconnaissance battery, a drone reconnaissance batteryand three armoured artillery batteries (equipped with 27 Panzerhaubitzen 2000, 1 KZO, 3COBRA, 2 SMA, 4 ATMAS, Fennek or Puma or Marder).

Army Air Defence Corps

The army air defence corps (Heeresflugabwehrtruppe) is made up of five units:

Three light air defence batteries of the 1st Armoured Division, the Division forSpecial Operations (Division Spezielle Operationen) and the Army Troop Brigade(Heerestruppenbrigade), equipped with 19 Wiesel2-based Ozelot.

A air defence regiment (Panzerflugabwehrregiment) of the 1st ArmouredDivision, equipped with Gepard.

An air defence battalion (Panzerflugabwehrbataillon) of the Army TroopCommand, equipped with Gepard.

Army Aviation Corps

The army aviation corps (Heeresfliegertruppe) provides helicopter assets to the German Army. Theseunits are mainly organized into regiments. There are three types of helicopter regiments: the attackhelicopter regiment (equipped with Bo155PAH, to be replaced by the Tiger), the light transporthelicopter regiment (equipped with UH-1D, to be replaced by the NH90) and the transport helicopterregiment (equipped with CH-53G). The German Air Force and the German Navy also have helicopterunits.

Army Aviation Troops

Heeresfliegeraufklärungsstaffel 100

Heeresfliegerunterstützungsstaffel 1

Heeresfliegerinstandsetzungsstaffel 1

Transporthubschrauberregiment 10

Transporthubschrauberregiment 15

Kampfhubschrauberregiment 26

Transporthubschrauberregiment 26

Transporthubschrauberregiment 30

Kampfhubschrauberregiment 36

A helicopter regiment is normally structured in a HQ squadron, a support squadron, a flying group(Fliegende Gruppe), with three squadrons, and a mechanic group (Luftfahrzeugtechnische Gruppe),with four squadrons. Each regiment is mostly equipped with up to 40 helicopters.

Engineer Corps

Units of the engineer corps (Pioniertruppe) engage in mobility, countermobility, survivability andgeneral engineering operations. They have many faces: the engineers (Pioniere), the armoured engineers(Panzerpioniere), the airborne engineers (Luftlandepioniere), the mountain engineers(Gebirgspioniere) and other units. Special engineers (Spezialpioniere) do not belong to the armyengineer corps- they belong to the Joint Support Command (Streitkräftebasis). They are responsible forrepairing runways, maintaining pipelines, and building field camps. The engineer corps unit structurebecomes larger and more effective in the new army.

Engineers Armoured Engineers Airborne Engineers Mountain Engineers Reserve Engineers

Pionierbataillon130

Panzerpionierkompanie92

Luftlandepionierkompanie260

Gebirgspionierbataillon8

Pionierbrückenbataillon270

Panzerpionierkompanie203

Luftlandepionierkompanie270

Panzerpionierkompanie550

Panzerpionierbataillon4

Panzerpionierbataillon8

Panzerpionierbataillon701

Panzerpionierbataillon803

An armoured engineer battalion (Panzerpionierbataillon) consists of a HQ &support company and three armoured engineer companies.

The mountain engineer battalion consists of a HQ & support company, twomountain engineer companies and a mountain engineer machine company.

A heavy engineer battalion consists of a HQ & support company, two amphibiousor bridge companies and two engineer machine companies.

NBC Corps

The units of the NBC corps (ABC-Abwehrtruppe) are responsible for decontamination of personnel,vehicles and other material. They also search for nuclear, bacterial or chemical sources. These researchsquads are equipped with the NBC Fox (ABC-Spürpanzer Fuchs), which will be replaced by theMRAV Boxer.

NBC Units

leichte ABC-Abwehrkompanie 110

leichte ABC-Abwehrkompanie 120

ABC-Abwehrbataillon 7

ABC-Abwehrregiment 750

Logistics Corps

Units belonging to the logistics corps (Logistiktruppen) support combat units. The logistics corps is theresult of the fusion of the ordnance corps (Instandsetzungstruppe) and the supplies corps(Nachschubtruppe). Logistics units, mostly logistics battalions (Logistikbataillone) have many tasks:

transportation, maintenance/repairing of vehicles, weapons and other material, supply of material,cooking meals for troops, etc.

Logistics Troops

Versorgungsbataillon D/F Brigade

Logistikbataillon 3

Logistikbataillon 4

Logistikbataillon 7

Logistikbataillon 141

Logistikbataillon 131

Logistikbataillon 142

Luftlandeunterstützungsbataillon 262

Luftlandeunterstützungsbataillon 272

A typical logistics battalion of the German Army consists of a HQ & support company, two lightmaintenance companies and two supply/transport companies. (In contrast a logistics battalion of theJoint Support Center consists of a HQ & support company, two maintenance companies, two supplycompanies, a transport company and a special supply company.)

Weapons

Light Weapons

Heckler & Koch G36—5.56 mm x 45 assault rifle replacing the Heckler & KochG3

Heckler & Koch MG4 5.56 mm light machine gun, replacing the MG3 in thesquad automatic weapon role

MG3—7.62 mm x 51 machine gun Heckler & Koch MP7—4.6 mm x 30 submachine gun replacing the MP2 (Uzi

submachine gun) Heckler & Koch MP5—9 x 19 mm submachine gun, only used by the military

police (Feldjäger) and the KSK Heckler & Koch P8—9 mm x 19 pistol replacing the Walther P1 Accuracy International G22—7.62 mm x 66.5B sniper rifle Barrett M82 sniper rifle Dynamit Nobel Panzerfaust 3—Rocket propelled grenade Raytheon Fliegerfaust 2 (FIM-92 Stinger)—infrared homing surface-to-air missile MILAN HK 79 Granatpistole AG36 Granatpistole Eickhorn Kampfmesser KM2000—172 mm tantōstyle blade standard battle knife

Reconnaissance Systems

Fennek (light wheeled reconnaissance vehicle), replacing the Luchs Luchs A2 (wheeled tracked reconnaissance vehicle), being phased out LunaX (reconnaissance drone system) KZO (reconnaissance drone system) ALADIN (reconnaissance drone system) RASIT (radar system), being phased out BÜR (radar system), replacing RASIT and ABRA

Combat vehicles

Leopard 2A5 MBT in 2004 during a training exercise

Leopard 2 (Main Battle Tank)o A4, being phased outo A5o A6 Marder 1 A3/A5 (infantry fighting vehicle) Puma (IFV) (infantry fighting vehicle), replace the Marder in the

Panzergrenadiertruppe Wiesel 1/2 (light air-transportable tracked multirole vehicle)o as a reconnaissance vehicle for the airborne troopso with machine gun 20 mmo with TOWo with mortar 120 mmo as a radar vehicle for the light air defence system (LeFlaSys)o as a command vehicle for the LeFlaSyso as an engineer reconnaissance vehicleo with Stinger equipped for the LeFlaSyso as a medical vehicle for the airborne troops M113 A2 (multirole armoured vehicle), being phased out Boxer (multirole armoured vehicle), replace M113 and Fuchs Dingo 1/2 (wheeled tracked vehicle) DURO 3 (light wheeled tracked vehicle) Mungo (light wheeled tracked vehicle)

Fuchs 1/2 (multirole armoured vehicle)

Artillery

M270 MLRS (270 mm multiple rocket launcher) PzH 2000 (155 mm self-propelled howitzer), replacing M109 M109 A3 GE A1 (155 mm self-propelled howitzer), being phased out ABRA (artillery radar system), being phased out COBRA (artillery radar system) ATMAS (artillery weather measure system) SMA (artillery sound measure system) Taifun (attack drone system)—project canceled

Air Defence Systems

Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard 1 A2 (air defence tank, gun) ROLAND (air defence tank, missiles), being phased out until 2007 LeFlaSys (leichtes Flugabwehrraketensystem), based on Wiesel 2 LÜR (radar system), being phased out BÜR (radar system), ordered

Engineer Equipment

Dachs (tracked engineer tank) Büffel (tracked salvage tank) Biber (bridge layer) Panzerschnellbrücke 2 (bridge layer), replacing the Biber Scorpion (mine system) Keiler (mine breaker) M3 (amphibious vehicle) Medium Girder Bridge (bridge system) Faltschnellbrücke (bridge system) Schwimmschnellbrücke (bridge system) Pontoon bridge Faltstraßensystem (mobile roadway system)

Helicopters

CH-53G/GS (transport helicopter) UH-1D (light transport helicopter), being phased out Bo105 (anti-tank helicopter) UHT Tiger (multirole attack helicopter) NH90 (multi-purpose helicopter), replacing the UH-1D Eurocopter EC135 (training helicopter)

Logistic Equipment

SLT 50-3 Elefant (heavy tractor trailer, tank transport) Berge- und Kranfahrzeug, BKF 30.40 (salvage vehicle)

Non-combat vehicles

Mercedes-Benz 250 GD "Wolf" LKW 2t mil gl, 4x4 LKW 5t mil gl, 4x4 LKW 5t tmil, 4x4 LKW 7t mil gl, 6x6 LKW 7t tmil, 6x6 LKW 10t mil gl, 8x8 LKW 15t mil gl, 8x8 LKW 15t mil gl MULTI, 8x8

German Navy

The German Navy (German: Deutsche Marine) is the navy of Germany and part of the Bundeswehr.

The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet (Reichsflotte) of the revolutionary era of1848-1852 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern GermanFederal Navy (Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, 1866-1871) and became the Imperial Navy (KaiserlicheMarine, 1872-1918). From 1919 to 1921 it was known as the Temporary Imperial Navy (VorläufigeReichsmarine) and then became the Reichsmarine. It was known as the War Navy (Kriegsmarine) from1935 to 1945.

In 1956, with West Germany's accession to NATO, a new navy was established and was referred to asthe Federal Navy (Bundesmarine). With the reunification of Germany in 1990, it was decided to simplyuse the name Deutsche Marine ("German Navy").

German frigate "Karlsruhe" rescuing shipwrecked people off the coast of Somalia whileparticipating in the international anti-terror operation ENDURING FREEDOM, April 2005

The Laboe Naval Memorial for sailors who lost their lives at sea during the World Wars and whileon duty at sea and U 995

Mission

The German Navy is part of the German armed forces (Bundeswehr), and is deeply integrated into theNATO alliance. Its mission includes the participation in peace-keeping and peace enforcementoperations as well as the protection of German and Allied territories.

Operations

German war ships permanently participate in all four NATO Maritime Groups. The German Navy is alsoengaged in operations against international terrorism such as Operation Enduring Freedom and NATOOperation Active Endeavour.

Presently the largest operation the German Navy is participating in is UNIFIL II off the coast ofLebanon. The German contribution to this operation is two frigates, four fast attack craft, and twoauxiliary vessels. The naval component of UNIFIL is commanded by a German admiral. There has beenreports of Israeli F-16's firing against German ships. Israel denied that the F-16's fired againt the shipsand stated that it was only overflying the ships.

Organisation

The German Navy is commanded by the Chief of the Naval Staff in the Federal Ministry of Defense inBonn. The major commands are the Fleet Command at Glücksburg near Flensburg and the NavalOffice at Rostock. The Fleet is commanded by the Commander-in-Chief German Fleet(CINCGERFLEET) and comprises all combat vessels, aircraft, helicopters and other combat forces,while schools, naval bases and test installations are under the purview of the Naval Office. The strengthof the Navy is about 19,000 men and women with another 6,000 navy personnel serving in differentelements of the central military organization of the Bundeswehr.

The navy as a part of the Bundeswehr is responsible for developing and providing the maritimecapabilities of the German armed forces. Therefore it is operationg a number of development and testinginstallations as part of an inter-service and international network.

The Fleet

Fleet Command (Flottenkommando), Glücksburgo 1st Flotilla (Einsatzflottille 1), Kiel HQ 1st Flotilla 1st Corvette Squadron (1. Korvettengeschwader), Warnemünde 1st Submarine Squadron (1. Unterseebootgeschwader),

Eckernförde Submarine Training Centre (Ausbildungszentrum Unterseeboote),

Eckernförde 3rd Mine Counter-Measure Squadron (3. Minensuchgeschwader),

Kiel 7th Fast Patrol Boat Squadron (7. Schnellbootgeschwader),

Warnemünde 5th Mine Counter-Measure Squadron (5. Minensuchgeschwader),

Kiel Force Protection Group, (Marineschutzkräfte), Eckernförde one HQ & support company four Force Protection companies

(Marinesicherungskompanie) Special Warfare Group, (Spezialisierte Einsatzkräfte Marine),

Eckernförde HQ & support company combat diver company (Kampfschwimmerkompanie) clearance diver company (mine counter measures and

explosive ordnance disposal; Minentaucherkompanie) combat diver support company (KS-

Unterstützungskompanie) company for special operations (e.g. boarding) support company special training centero 2nd Flotilla (Einsatzflottille 2), Wilhelmshaven HQ 2nd Flotilla 2nd Frigate Squadron (2. Fregattengeschwader), Wilhelmshaven 4th Frigate Squadron (4. Fregattengeschwader), Wilhelmshaven Auxiliary Squadron (Trossgeschwader), Wilhelmshaven/Kielo Naval Air Wing 3 (Marinefliegergeschwader 3), Nordholzo Naval Air Wing 5 (Marinefliegergeschwader 5), Kiel (will be closed)o Naval Medical Institute (Schiffahrtsmedizinisches Institut), Kiel

(responsible especially for diving medicine)

Naval Office

Naval Office (Marineamt), Rostocko Department for Development of the Navy, Bremerhaveno Navy Schools (Admiral Naval Training) Naval Academy (Marineschule Mürwik), Flensburg-Mürwik Petty Officer School (Marineunteroffiziersschule), Plön Engineering School (Marinetechnikschule), Parow, near Stralsund Damage Control Training Centre (Ausbildungszentrum für

Schiffssicherung), Neustadt in Holstein Operations School (Marineoperationsschule), Bremerhaveno Supporting Installations (Admiral Naval Logistics) Naval Base Command (Marinestützpunktkommando)

Wilhelmshaven Naval Base Command (Marinestützpunktkommando) Eckernförde Naval Base Command (Marinestützpunktkommando) Kiel Naval Base Command (Marinestützpunktkommando) Warnemünde Naval Test Command (Kommando Truppenversuche der Marine),

Eckernförde Naval Command & Control Systems Command (Kommando

Marineführungssysteme), Wilhelmshaven

Ships and weapon systems

Surface Vessels

Modern Air Defence Frigate "Hamburg", commissioned 2005

F218 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Frigateso 3 Sachsen class anti-air frigate (officially classified as frigates but since

they have replaced the last class of German destroyers, and also in size and role, theycould be classified as destroyers)

o 4 Brandenburg class anti-submarine frigateo 8 Bremen class guided missile frigate

Fast Attack Crafto 10 Gepard class fast attack craft

M1093 Ensdorf class mine sweeper Auerbach/Oberpfalz

Mine Counter-Measure Vesselso 5 Ensdorf class minesweeper, drone guidanceo 5 Kulmbach class (Type 333) mine huntero 10 Frankenthal class (Type 332) mine huntero 1 M1052 Mühlhausen (diver support)o 18 Seehunde ROV (remote or manually controlled drones) part of the

TROIKA PLUS system together with the Ensdorf class minesweepers

Submarines

Undetectable Type 212A Submarine with air independent propulsion, commissioned 2005

Submarineso 4 U212A class (multi-purpose submarine), 2 more ordered, replace some

U206A classo 10 U206A class (coastal submarine)

Auxiliary Vessels

A1411 Berlin

The Gorch Fock

Landing crafto 2 Barbe class (Type 520) utility landing craft Auxiliary vesselso 2 Berlin class (Type 702) multi-product replenishment ship, one more

plannedo 2 Walchensee class (Type 703) fleet oilero 2 Rhön class (Type 704) fleet oilero 1 Westerwald (Type 760A) ammunition transporto 6 Elbe class (Type 404) tendero 4 Wangerooge class (Type 722B) seeschlepper (sea-going tug)o 1 Fehmarn class (Type 720) offshore tug (also used for mine recovery

training)o 1 Helgoland class (Type 720) large sea-going tugo 3 Oste class (Type 423) electronic surveillance shipo 2 Bottsand class (Type 738) oil recovery shipo 1 Eisvogel Class (Type 721) icebreaker

o 1 Gorch Fock tall ship (Type 441) sail training shipo 1 Planet class (Type 751) research ship

Aircraft

Breguet Atlantic Br.1150 of the German Navy

Maritime Patrol Aircrafto 3 Bréguet Atlantic Siginto 8 P-3 Orion, replaced some of the Bréguet Atlantico 2 Dornier Do 228

Helicopterso 22 Sea Lynx Mk88Ao 21 Sea King Mk41

Sea King Mk41 from MFG5 in special 30th anniversary colour scheme at Weston-super-Mare,UK, July 2005

Weapon Systems

Future Developments

A first batch of 4 frigates of the F125 class specialised for stabilisation missionsare planned to replace the Bremen-Class (8 guided-missile frigates). F 125 will havetwo crews per ship.

Some surface combat ships are planned under the name "MÜKE" (MittlereÜberwasserkampfeinheit / Medium Surface Combatant), no further details areavailable.

5 Braunschweig class corvette multi-purpose corvette, under construction,replace Albatros class

30 MH90 helicopter will replace 22 Sea King helicopter of the Naval Air Wing 5and some Sea Lynx helicopter

Luftwaffe

The Deutsche Luftwaffe or Luftwaffe is the commonly used term for the German air force. Generally,the word Luftwaffe is not restricted to any particular country, so "die Britische Luftwaffe" would mean"the British Air Force".

Unlike other air forces, the German Air Force not only operates aircraft, but comprises also the servicesof the "Einsatzführungsdienst" (Tactical Air Control Service) and Ground Based Air Defense named"FlaRak-Dienst" (Flugabwehr-Raketen-Dienst, commonly known as SAM).

The history of the German military aviation forces began in 1910 with the founding of the ImperialGerman Army Air Service, yet it has not been continuous because Germany lost both World Wars(1914-1918 and 1939-1945). As a result, Germany had no military air force between 1918 and 1935 andagain between 1945 and 1956.

Beside the well known military aviation part of the Luftwaffe, a very large ground based organizationbelongs to the Luftwaffe as of 1935 and throughout the entire phase of World War II. TheLuftnachrichtentruppe as well as ground based air defense forces, better known as Flak actuallycomprised of the biggest part of the Luftwaffe in terms of personnel and material. During wartime, newcapabilities like radar assisted air surveillance and use of radar in support of the Flak as well as firstattempts of what later became Ground Controlled Intercepts (GCI) were developed and successfullyexecuted.

In 1939-1940, the Luftwaffe helped the German army to astonishingly rapid success in both Eastern andWestern Europe, but failed to win control of the skies over Great Britain. Later, despite its best efforts, itcould not prevent the defeat of Germany either by day, or by night, owing to constant Allied bombing ofGermany's factories and cities by a numerically overwhelming force of bombers based in England. Thiswas coupled with the advances of the Soviet armies from the East, as numbers of available Germanaircraft dwindled in the face of ever-growing numbers of Soviet aircraft. The Luftwaffe was, however,notable in putting the world's first jet fighter and the world's only rocket-powered fighter into actionduring the war.

BundeswehrTeilstreitkräfte or TSK (Branches)

Heer

Luftwaffe

Marine

Organisationsbereiche (Organisation areas)Sanitätsdienst

Streitkräftebasis

Following the division of Germany after the World War II both West Germany and The GermanDemocratic Republic established their own air forces; West Germany's Luftwaffe was founded in 1956and the GDR's Luftstreitkräfte der NVA was established in 1955. The Luftstreitkräfte was subsumedinto the Luftwaffe following German reunification in 1990. Only in Kosovo in 1999 has the Luftwaffeever seen war action since the end of World War II.

Continuing the same composition of forces and weapon system categories, the new Luftwaffe as of 1956included the successor of the Luftnachrichtentruppe, now called Radarführunsgdienst as well as thesuccessor of the Flak air defense organisation, again as integral part of the new Luftwaffe. With the helpof NATO, radar heads and bunker installations were erected in West-Germany as part of the NATOIntegrated Air Defense System (NATINADS), basicly a mixed chain of radar stations, command andcontrol facilities, airbases for air defense jet fighters and SAM-sites. This chain extended from North-Norway all the way through Europe along the Iron Curtain ending in East-Turkey.

The use of radar for air surveillance and SAM continued under the auspices of the new Luftwaffe whichwas not always the case in other NATO member states. In the USA for example, SAM was and still isintegral part of the US Army.

History

World War I

The forerunner of the Luftwaffe, the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte), was foundedin 1910 before the outbreak of World War I (1914–1918) with the emergence of military aircraft,although they were intended to be used primarily for reconnaissance in support of armies on the ground,just as balloons had been used in the same fashion during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 andeven as far back as the Napoleonic Wars. It was not the world's first air force, however, because France'sembryonic army air service, which eventually became the Armée de l'Air, had also been founded in1910, and Britain's Royal Flying Corps (which merged in 1918 with the Royal Naval Air Service toform the Royal Air Force), was founded in 1912.

During the war, the Imperial Army Air Service utilised a wide variety of aircraft, ranging from fighters(such as those manufactured by Albatros-Flugzeugwerke and Fokker), reconnaissance aircraft (Aviatikand DFW) and heavy bombers (Gothaer Waggonfabrik, better known simply as Gotha, and Zeppelin-Staaken).

Portrait of Manfred von Richthofen, the "Red Baron", who brought down 80 Allied aircraft beforebeing shot down and killed on April 21, 1918. The Pour le Mérite medal is clearly in view here.

However, the fighters received the most attention in the annals of military aviation, since it produced"aces" such as Manfred von Richthofen, popularly known in English as "The Red Baron" (in Germany,he was known as "der rote Baron"), Ernst Udet, Hermann Göring, Oswald Boelcke (considered the firstmaster tactician of "dogfighting"), Max Immelmann (the first airman to win the Pour le Mérite, ImperialGermany's highest decoration for gallantry, as a result of which the decoration became popularly knownas the "Blue Max"), and Werner Voss. As well as the German Navy, the German Army also usedZeppelins as airships for bombing military and civilian targets in France and Belgium as well as theUnited Kingdom.

All German and Austro-Hungarian military aircraft in service used the Iron Cross insignia until early1918. Afterwards, the Balkenkreuz, a black Greek cross on white, was introduced.

After the war ended in German defeat, the service was dissolved completely under the conditions of theTreaty of Versailles, which demanded that its aeroplanes be completely destroyed. As a result of thisdisbanding, the present-day Luftwaffe (which dates from 1956) is not the oldest independent air force inthe world, since the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom is older, having been founded on 1 April1918.

Inter-war period

Since Germany had been banned by the Treaty of Versailles from having an air force, there existed theneed to train its pilots for a future war in secret. Initially, civil aviation schools within Germany wereused, yet only light training planes could be used in order to maintain the facade that the trainees weregoing to fly with civil airlines such as Lufthansa. In order to train its pilots on the latest combat aircraft,Germany ironically solicited the help of its future enemy, the USSR, which was also isolated in Europe.A secret training airfield was established at Lipetsk in 1924 and operated for approximately nine yearsusing mostly Dutch and Russian, but also some German, training aircraft before being closed in 1933.This base was officially known as 4th squadron of the 40th wing of the Red Army.

Collar tabs of a major in the Luftwaffe (1935–1945). The background colour denotes officers werein the flying divisions of the Luftwaffe. Other divisions, such as anti-aircraft artillery (Flak) had

patches with different coloured backgrounds.

On February 26, 1935, Adolf Hitler ordered Hermann Göring to reinstate the Luftwaffe, breaking theTreaty of Versailles signed in 1919. Germany broke it without sanction from Britain and France or theLeague of Nations, yet neither the two nations nor the League did anything to oppose either this or anyother action which broke the provisions of the Treaty. Although the new air force was to be run totallyseparately from the army, it retained the tradition of according army ranks to its officers and airmen, atradition retained today by the Bundesluftwaffe of the unified Germany and by many air forcesthroughout the world. However, it is worth noting that, before the official promulgation of theLuftwaffe, what was a paramilitary air force was known as the Deutscher Luftverband ("German AirUnion"; DLV for short), with Ernst Udet as its head, and the DLV uniform insignia became those of thenew Luftwaffe, although the DLV "ranks" were actually given special names that made them sound morecivilian than military.

Dr. Fritz Todt, the engineer who founded the forced labour Organisation Todt, was appointed to therank of Generalmajor in the Luftwaffe. He was not, strictly speaking, an airman, although he had servedin an observation squadron during World War I, winning the Iron Cross. He died in an air crash inFebruary 1942.

It is said that Hermann Göring has personally chosen an emblem for the Luftwaffe that differed fromthat of the other armed branches. The eagle, an old symbol of the German Empire remained, but inanother posture. Since 1933, when Hitler's National Socialist Party came to power, the eagle heldbetween his claws the symbol of the party - the swastika (an old symbol of sunrise), which usually wasenveloped by an oak wreath. Göring refused for the Luftwaffe the old heraldic eagle that appeared toostylized, too static and too massive, and he chose a younger, more natural and lighter eagle with wingsspread in flying position that was more suitable for an air force. While the Wehrmacht eagle held firmlywith his both claws the symbol of the Nazi Party, the Luftwaffe eagle held the swastika only with oneclaw while the other was bent in a threatening gesture.

The Luftwaffe had the ideal opportunity to test its pilots, aircraft and tactics in the Spanish Civil War of1936–1939, when the Condor Legion was sent to Spain in support of the anti-Republican governmentrevolt led by Francisco Franco. Modern machines included names which would become world famous:the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber and the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane. However, as aircraftseconded to Franco's Nationalist air force, Luftwaffe markings were replaced so as not to make theworld believe that Germany was actively supporting the revolt. Instead of the Nazi Party's swastika onthe tailplane, the German planes used the Nationalist air force aircraft markings (a Saint Andrew's crossover a white background, painted on the rudder of the aircraft and a black disc on fuselage and wings).All aircraft in the Legion were affiliated to units given a designation ending in the number 88. Forexample, bombers were in Kampfgruppe ("Combat Group") 88, abbreviated to K/88, and fighters inJagdgruppe ("Pursuit Group") 88, J/88.

An aerial view of the devastation to the Basque city of Guernica after the attack by Condor Legionbombers on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War.

A grim foretaste of the systematic bombing of cities during World War II came in April 1937 when acombined force of German and Italian bombers under National Spanish command destroyed most of theBasque city of Gernika in north-east Spain. This bombing received worldwide condemnation, and thecollective memory of the horror of the bombing of civilians has ever since become most acute via thefamous painting, named after the town, by the Cubist artist, Pablo Picasso. Many feared that this wouldbe the way that future air wars would be conducted, since the Italian strategist, General Giulio Douhet

(who had died in 1930), had formulated theories regarding what would be dubbed "strategic bombing",the idea that wars would be won by striking from the air at the heart of the industrial muscle of a warringnation, and thus demoralising the civilian population to the point where the government of that nationwould be driven to sue for peace—a portent of things to come, certainly, and not just during the warwhich would break out in Europe only months after the end of the civil war in Spain.

World War II

At the outset of the war, the Luftwaffe was one of the most modern, powerful, and experienced airforces in the world, dominating the skies over Europe with aircraft that were much more advanced thantheir initial counterparts. The Luftwaffe was central to the German Blitzkrieg doctrine, as the close airsupport provided by Stuka dive bombers and an overwhelming force of tactical fighters were key toseveral early successes. Following the Battle of Britain, however, the Luftwaffe went into a steady,gradual decline that saw it both outclassed and outgunned by the sheer number of Allied aircraft beingdeployed against it. Towards the end of the war the Luftwaffe was no longer a major factor, and despitefielding advanced aircraft like the Me262, was crippled by fuel shortages, insufficient productioncapacity, and a lack of trained pilots.

Cold War

The Canadian version of the North American F-86 Sabre, the Canadair CL-13, had a long careerin the Luftwaffe, with which seventy-five examples served. This model is in the markings of 1.

Staffel of Waffenschule 10 (1. / WaSLw 10), based at Oldenburg in 1959.(Model by Peter Mojzisek Gallery/CL13Sabre/CL-13 Sabre.htm)

Following the war, German aviation in general was severely curtailed, and military aviation wascompletely forbidden when the Luftwaffe was officially disbanded in August 1946 by the Allied ControlCommission. This changed when West Germany joined NATO in 1955, as the Western Allies believedthat Germany was needed in view of the increasing threat militarily from the USSR and its Warsaw Pactallies. Throughout the following decades, the West German Luftwaffe was equipped mostly with U.S.-designed aircraft manufactured locally under licence. All aircraft sported—and continue to sport—theIron Cross on the fuselage, harking back to the days of World War I, while the national flag of WestGermany could be seen on the tailplanes.

Many well-known fighter pilots, who had fought with the Luftwaffe in World War II, joined the newpost-war air force and underwent refresher training in the U.S. before returning to West Germany toupgrade on the latest U.S.-supplied hardware. These included Erich Hartmann, the highest-ever scoringace (352 enemy aircraft destroyed), Gerhard Barkhorn (301), Günther Rall (275) and Johannes Steinhoff(176). Steinhoff, who suffered a crash in a Messerschmitt Me 262 shortly before the end of the warwhich resulted in lifelong scarring of his face and other parts of his body, would eventually becomecommander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, with Rall as his immediate successor. Hartmann retired as anOberst (colonel) in 1970 aged 48. The aforementioned Josef Kammhuber also served with the post-warLuftwaffe, retiring in 1962 as Inspekteur der Bundesluftwaffe.

1960's Starfighter crisis

During the 1960's, the "Starfighter crisis" was a big problem for German politics, as many of theseLockheed F-104 fighters crashed after being modified to serve for Luftwaffe purposes - specifically forterrain, weather and ground troop support issues. In Luftwaffe service, 292 of the 916 Starfighterscrashed, claiming the lives of 115 pilots, leading to cries from the West German public that theStarfighter was fundamentally unsafe and earning it the Witwenmacher (English - Widowmaker)nickname.

Steinhoff and his deputy Rall noted that the non-German F-104's proved much safer - Spain lost none inthe same period. The Americans blamed the high loss rate of the Luftwaffe F-104s to the extreme low-level and aggressive flying by the German pilots, rather than any faults in the aircraft.[1]. Steinhoff andRall immediately left their daily work and learned to fly the aircraft in America under Lockheedinstruction, and noted some specifics in the training (a distinct lack of mountains and foggy weathertraining), combined with handling capabilities (sharp start high G turns) of the aircraft that could createaccidents situations.

Steinhoff and Rall immediately changed the training regimen for the F-104 pilots, and accident ratio'squickly fell to those comparable or better than other airforces. They also brought about the high level oftraining and professionalism seen today throughout the Luftwaffe, and the start of a strategic directionfor Luftwaffe pilots to tactically and combat train outside Germany. However, the F-104 never removedits Witwenmacher reputation, and was replaced much earlier by the Luftwaffe than other nationalairforces

1970's

One of 212 Panavia Tornado IDSs delivered to the Luftwaffe.

From 1965 through 1970, two surface to surface missile wings (Flugkörpergeschwader) fielded 16 ofthe Pershing I missile systems with nuclear warheads under US Army custody. In 1970, the system wasupgraded to Pershing IA with 72 systems. Although not directly affected by the 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Luftwaffe unilaterally agreed to the retrograde of the Pershing 1Asystem from their inventory in 1991, and the missiles were destroyed.

Beginning in June 1979 the Luftwaffe received 212 Panavia Tornado IDSs.

The United States provides nuclear weapons for use by Germany under a NATO nuclear sharingagreement. As of 2005, 60 tactical B61 nuclear bombs are provided, stored at Büchel and Ramstein AirBases, which in time of war would be delivered by Luftwaffe Panavia Tornados.

Reunification

The GDR's air force, the Luftstreitkräfte der NVA, was supplied exclusively with Eastern Bloc-producedaircraft, such as the Sukhoi Su-17 "Fitter" and the more famous Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) family ofaircraft, such as the MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29 fighters, and served primarily as an extension of Red

Air Force units in Eastern Germany. The East German air force was unique among Warsaw Pactcountries in that it was often equipped with Soviet-standard combat aircraft, instead of downgradedexport models. As an extension of Soviet air power, the "Luftstreitkräfte" enjoyed less autonomy thanother Eastern Bloc air forces. Unlike the West German Luftwaffe, the markings sported on the aircraftreflected the identity of the country as belonging to the Communist bloc. These markings consisted of adiamond-shaped design, in which could be seen the vertically oriented three stripes in black, red andgold surmounted by the stylised hammer, compass and wreath-like ears-of-grain design, which was alsoseen on the Flag of East Germany, although the stripes were a 90-degree orientation from those to beseen on either national flag of the two German nations between 1959 and 1990.

After the GDR and West Germany were reunified in October 1990, the aircraft of the NVA were takenover by the unified Federal Republic of Germany, and their GDR markings were replaced by the IronCross, thus creating the situation of Soviet-built aircraft serving in a NATO air force. However, most ofthese would eventually be taken out of service altogether, in many cases being sold to the new EasternEuropean allies now part of NATO, such as Poland and the Baltic states.

Luftwaffe MiG-29UB

The exception to this was the Jagdgeschwader 73 "Steinhoff" in Laage. The pilots of this squadron flewMiG-29s acquired during the reunification and were some of the most experienced MiG-29 pilots in theworld. One of their primary duties was to serve as aggressor pilots, training other pilots in dissimilarcombat tactics. The United States sent a group of fighter pilots to Germany during the Red Octoberexercise in order to practice real tactics against the aircraft they were most likely to meet in real combat.In 2004, however, the MiG-29s were sold to Poland. Since then, the JG 73 uses the EurofighterTyphoon.

1990s

In March 1999, for the first time since 1945, the Luftwaffe engaged in combat operations as part of theNATO-led Kosovo War. This event was noted as significant in the British press with The Sun runningthe headline "Luftwaffe and the RAF into battle side by side". The Luftwaffe flew suppression of enemyair defence (SEAD) sorties. No Luftwaffe aircraft were lost during the campaign, but the force's roleproved to be controversial in Germany because of the strong pacifist sentiment still present in thepopulation that is opposed to the use of force by Germany in international affairs. Moreover, there wereconstitutional concerns, because Germany was not and, indeed, still is not allowed to participate in"wars of aggression" owing to its 1949 Grundgesetz ("Basic Law" - constitution).

2000s

In 2005, 4 F-4F Phantoms participated on NATO's Baltic Air Policing operation.

Future

A Luftwaffe Eurofighter Typhoon (2-seated trainer version).

Since the 1970s, the Luftwaffe of West Germany and later the reunited Germany (as well as many otherEuropean air forces) has actively pursued the construction of European combat aircraft such as thePanavia Tornado and more recently the Eurofighter Typhoon, which has been introduced in 2006.

On January 13 2004 the then German Defence Minister Peter Struck announced major changes to theGerman armed forces. A major part of this announcement is the plan to cut the German fighter fleetfrom 426 in early 2004 to 265 by 2015. Assuming the full German order for 180 Eurofighter Typhoonsis fulfilled, this will see the Tornado force reduced to 85. The German Navy's air wing (Marineflieger)received 112 Tornado IDSs. In late 2004 the last Tornado unit was disbanded. The maritime combat rolehas been assumed by the Luftwaffe a unit of which has had its Tornados upgraded to carry theKormoran II and AGM-88 HARM missiles.

Tactical Training Centers

Luftwaffe Panavia Tornado at CFB Goose Bay

In light of the destroyed infrastructure of West Germany post World War 2, the restrictions on aircraftproduction placed on Germany and the later restrictive flying zones available for training pilots, thereconstructed Luftwaffe trained most of its pilots tactically away from Germany, mainly in the UnitedStates where most of its aircraft were sourced from.

During the 1960's and 1970's, when large numbers of Luftwaffe jets began to crash - the Luftwaffesuffered a 36 percent crash rate for F-84F Thunderstreak, and almost 30 percent loss of the F-104Starfighter - created demands from Germany's citizens that the Luftwaffe move most combat trainingaway from Germany.

Resultantly, the Luftwaffe set up two Tactical Training centres: one, like many of the NATO forces atthe Canadian Forces Air Command base at Goose Bay; and a second one in a unique partnership withthe United States Airforce at Holloman AFB in New Mexico. Both of these facilities provide access tolarge unpopulated areas, where tactical and combat training can take place without danger to largepopulations.

In September 2004, Luftwaffe chief of staff, Klaus-Peter Stieglitz announced a reduction in its trainingprogram of roughly 20%.

Holloman AFB

On 1 May 1996, the Luftwaffe established the German Air Force Tactical Training Center in conceptwith the United States Air Force 20th Fighter Squadron which provides aircrew training in the F-4FPhantom II. The TTC serves as the parent command for two German air crew training squadrons. The F-4 Training Squadron oversees all German F-4 student personal affairs, and provides German instructorpilots to cooperate in the contracted F-4 training program provided by the U.S. Air Force (20th FighterSquadron). A second TTC unit, the Tornado Training Squadron, provides academic and tactical flyingtraining, by German Air Force instructors, for German Tornado aircrews.

The first contingent of Tornado aircraft arrived at Holloman in March 1996. More than 300 German AirForce members are permanently assigned at Holloman to the TTC - the only unit of its kind in theUnited States. The German Air Force Flying Training Center activated 31 March with German AirForce Chief of Staff Gen. Portz and U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Ryan present. TheLuftwaffe has since kept up to 800 personnel at Holloman for training exercises, due to limited trainingspace in Europe.

On 29 September 1999 two Luftwaffe Tornado's crashed near Marathon Indian Basin, about 15 milesnorthwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The crash details were kept quiet from the American public, as thecrash was investigated under Luftwaffe jurisdiction. Subsequent questioning of the authorities revealedthat a training agreement existed between the United States and various foreign national governmentspost World War II.

Organisation

Jagdgeschwader 73 "Steinhoff" - Eurofighter Typhoon Jagdgeschwader 74 - Eurofighter Typhoon - Neuburg an der Donau Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen" Jagdbmbergeschwader 31 "Boelcke" Jagdbombergeschwader 32 Jagdbombergeschwader 33 Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann"

Streitkräftebasis

Logo of the Streitkräftebasis

Vehicle of the Feldjäger

Streitkräftebasis (Joint Service Support Command, SKB) is a German military branch of theBundeswehr established in October 2000. It handles various logistics and organizational jobs of theGerman armed forces.

Organizations it manages include:

Feldjägertruppe (FJgTr) - Military Police Führungsunterstützungstruppe (FüUstgTr) - Command Support Element Fernmeldetruppe EloKa (EloKa) - Signal Corps and Electronic Warfare Truppe für Operative Information (OpInfoTr) - Operative Information Teile der Pioniertruppe (PiTr) - Parts of the Corps of Engineers Zentrum für Nachrichtenwesen der Bundeswehr (ZNBw) - Military Intelligence Teile der Nachschubtruppe (NschTr) - Parts of the Supply Forces Teile der Instandsetzungstruppe (InstTr) - Parts of the Maintainence Forces

Central Medical Services

Vehicle of the Sanitätsdienst

Central Medical Services is the English translation of the German Zentraler Sanitätsdienst (in short:Sanitätsdienst) which is the term for the medical services of the German armed forces. Medicalprofessionals in the German forces are part of a central command common to all the various branchesrather than commissioned or appointed to serve as a member of any one of them, in contrast systemsemployed in most other nations, in which medical personnel are assigned to the various branches (Army,Navy, etc.). This system is considered by the German government to be more efficient as the duties ofthe medical services personnel are seen as being as primarily medical rather than primarily military innature.

Ranks of the Central Medical Service

Army and Airforce

Pin

Human Medicine Dentistry Pharmacy Veterinary Army andAirforce

Stabsarzt Stabsarzt Stabsapotheker Stabsveterinär Hauptmann

Oberstabsarzt Oberstabsarzt Oberstabsapotheker Oberstabsveterinär Major

Oberfeldarzt Oberfeldarzt Oberfeldapotheker Oberfeldveterinär Oberstleutnant

Oberstarzt Oberstarzt Oberstapotheker Oberstveterinär Oberst

Generalarzt Generalarzt Generalapotheker -- Brigadegeneral

Generalstabsarzt -- -- -- Generalmajor

Generaloberstabsarzt -- -- -- Generalleutnant

Navy

rank insignia of the highest Navy doctor (Admiraloberstabsarzt / AdmOSA)

Human Medicine Dentistry Pharmacy Navy

Stabsarzt Stabsarzt Stabsapotheker Kapitänleutnant

Oberstabsarzt Oberstabsarzt Oberstabsapotheker Korvettenkapitän

Flottillenarzt Flottillenarzt Flottillenapotheker Fregattenkapitän

Flottenarzt Flottenarzt Flottenapotheker Kapitän zur See

Admiralarzt Admiralarzt Admiralapotheker Flottillenadmiral

Admiralstabsarzt -- -- Konteradmiral

Admiraloberstabsarzt -- -- Vizeadmiral

Feldjäger

Feldjäger patrol vehicle

The Feldjäger are the military police of the German Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces. The termFeldjäger ("field rifleman" or "field hunter") has a long tradition and dates back to the mid-17th century.Their motto is Suum Cuique (Latin: "To each his own", derived from Cicero, De Finibus, Bonorum etMalorum, liber V, 67: "(...) ut fortitudo in laboribus periculisque cernatur, (...), iustitia in suo cuiquetribuendo.").

The Feldjäger corps serves all component forces of the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr)i.e., Army, Navy, Air Force, Medical Corps and Joint Support Service, under the command of the JointSupport Command in Cologne.

The 30 Feldjäger MP Stations located throughout Germany work around the clock to perform theFeldjägers’ main mission which is to be a central point of contact for all soldiers who need assistance.There is a nationwide emergency phone number (01803-90 9999) so Bundeswehr soldiers can contacttheir nearest Feldjäger station at any time.

The Feldjäger also have four more missions: Maintaining military discipline and order, military trafficcontrol, security operations and investigations.

To maintain military discipline, the Feldjäger perform regular patrols on-post and at places whereBundeswehr personnel congregate. They also patrol at large military events, conduct checks in militaryinstallations, support the military courts of justice, assist in collecting and returning stragglers andapprehended soldiers, and assist in collecting and transporting prisoners of war.

When directing and controlling military traffic, Feldjäger work closely with the civilian police toimprove traffic safety and protect soldiers. Feldjäger traffic missions therefore include route

reconnaissance and marking of convoy routes, preparing reports on road accidents with Bundeswehrinvolvement, directing and controlling military traffic, escorting military oversize or hazardous materialvehicles, assisting with the planning and supervision of military traffic, safety checks on militaryhazardous material vehicles, and setting up military traffic networks.

Feldjäger security operations prevent crimes against the German Federal Armed Forces and preventillegal disturbances of official Bundeswehr ceremonies. In addition, Feldjäger can be tasked to protectallied armed forces and provide personal security protection for high-risk Bundeswehr officials. Theyalso secure the command posts of large units, escort VIPs, safeguard conferences and exhibitions, securemilitary property, assist commanders in physical security matters, and perform riot control missions.

Investigations and inquiries are another focus of the Feldjäger. These range from reporting seriousaccidents, analyzing matters of official interest, assisting in the investigation of military offenses, andsearching for deserters. The Feldjäger corps also has military working dog teams. The dogs are firsttrained to be patrol dogs and then as sniffer dogs at the Bundeswehr MWD school in Koblenz. Theirteams assist in the search for explosives and drugs.

On overseas deployments, Feldjäger support the respective contingent by performing military policetasks. They are frequently employed in multinational military police units and not only monitor thebehavior of German soldiers in the area of operations, they also cooperate closely with local authorities,police, organizations, or the military police of other states under the Charter of the United Nations.House searches for illegal weapons and explosives are the day-to-day business in foreign deployments.One mission only performed overseas, for example, is the airport security and border clearance mission.

To be able to conduct these varied and challenging missions, Feldjäger soldiers are sent to numeroustraining courses at the Feldjäger School in Sonthofen or to specialist courses with the civilian police.One course that all Feldjäger must complete is the proficiency test in English, which makes themexcellent liaison officers when dealing with other MP forces.