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The German Army () is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Traditionally the German military forces have been composed of the Army, the Navy, and an Air Force
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 after World War I. It was reinstalled in 1955 as the West German Army and as a part of the newly formed Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr is the name of the unified armed forces of the Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The States of Germany are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the Constitution determines that matters of defense fall into the sole responsibility of the Federal government....
. In the aftermath of the German reunification
German reunification

German reunification took place twice after 1945: first in 1957, the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany, and again on 3 October 1990, when the five re-established states of the German Democratic Republic joined the Germany , and Berlin was united into a single city-state....
 of 1990, the National People's Army
National People's Army

The National People?s Army was the military of the German Democratic Republic....
 of the former German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic

The German Democratic Republic was a self-declared socialist state created in the Soviet Zone of occupied Germany and the East Berlin of Allied Occupation Zones in Germany....
 was integrated into the West German Army.

e Germany first became a modern unified state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
 in 1871, previous names of German unified ground forces have included:

Pre-1914
After the reform movement of the Prussian Army following a series of disastrous defeats at the hands of her enemies in the 18th Century, internal analysis of the lessons learned had informed Prussian civilian and military leadership that, while individual soldiers were first rate, command structures, staff organization and generalship was a hit-and-miss affair, more dependent on the martial skills of the King and the individual members of the German nobility who dominated the military profession.






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The German Army () is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Traditionally the German military forces have been composed of the Army, the Navy, and an Air Force
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 after World War I. It was reinstalled in 1955 as the West German Army and as a part of the newly formed Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr is the name of the unified armed forces of the Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The States of Germany are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the Constitution determines that matters of defense fall into the sole responsibility of the Federal government....
. In the aftermath of the German reunification
German reunification

German reunification took place twice after 1945: first in 1957, the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany, and again on 3 October 1990, when the five re-established states of the German Democratic Republic joined the Germany , and Berlin was united into a single city-state....
 of 1990, the National People's Army
National People's Army

The National People?s Army was the military of the German Democratic Republic....
 of the former German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic

The German Democratic Republic was a self-declared socialist state created in the Soviet Zone of occupied Germany and the East Berlin of Allied Occupation Zones in Germany....
 was integrated into the West German Army.

History


Overview

040610 N 1823s 348 G36andpracticenade
Since Germany first became a modern unified state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
 in 1871, previous names of German unified ground forces have included:
  • 1871-1935 Reichsheer or Imperial Army, part of Imperial Forces
  • 1935-1945 Heer or Army, part of the Wehrmacht
    Wehrmacht

    Wehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
  • 1956-1990 Landstreitkräfte, Ground forces of East German Nationale Volksarmee
  • 1955-present Deutsches Heer, German Army


Pre-1914


After the reform movement of the Prussian Army following a series of disastrous defeats at the hands of her enemies in the 18th Century, internal analysis of the lessons learned had informed Prussian civilian and military leadership that, while individual soldiers were first rate, command structures, staff organization and generalship was a hit-and-miss affair, more dependent on the martial skills of the King and the individual members of the German nobility who dominated the military profession. Too often, military talent was brought together only after the Nation faced a crisis. There was little effective organizational work in between wars. The rise of the German General Staff
German General Staff

The German General Staff was an institution whose rise and development gave the German military a decided advantage over its adversaries. The Staff amounted to its best "weapon" for nearly two centuries....
, an institution that sought to institutionalize military excellence, brought the German Army back from years of atrophy and the humiliation of Napoleon's capture of Berlin. With a membership in the officer corps extended to all qualified German speaking men via national examinations, the improved education of the military schools, the intensive selection process of the top 1% graduated from the Kriegsacademie, with its new rising class of top notch and world class leaders, the German Army was set on a course of eventual near total dominance in Europe.

Following the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo

In the Battle of Waterloo forces of the First French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte and Michel Ney were defeated by those of the Seventh Coalition, including a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard Leberecht von Bl?cher and an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington....
 the Prussian Kingdom
Prussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
 had years of military successes in the 19th and 20th centuries. Every able bodied man between the ages of 17 and 45 was liable for military service. There were 4 classes of service - Active
Active

Active may refer to:Human Activity* An active lifestyle, a lifestyle characterized by frequent or various social, intellectual, and physical activities...
 (Aktiv), Reserve, Landwehr
Landwehr

Landwehr, or Landeswehr, is a German language term used in referring to certain national army, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe....
 and Landsturm
Landsturm

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 105-DOA3029, Deutsch-Ostafrika, Landsturm angetreten.jpgThe Landsturm were irregular military forces in Prussia which were created on 21 April 1813 by a royal edict issued by king Frederick William III of Prussia....
. The Landwehr and Landsturm were only called up at times of war. The basic unit of the army at this time was the Regiment. Regiments were typically raised and supported by a specific city or region. Each regiment was then stationed near its home city. The Reserve regiment was often made up of past members of the local regiment. The Landwehr and Landsturm units were also organized the same way. An individual could spend all 22 years of military service surrounded by their friends and family. This created close ties within regiments, however, because of this system, the entire population of 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 German kingdoms that existed prior to the unification of Germany in January 1871 - Bavaria
Bavaria

Bavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest States of Germany of Germany by area....
, Prussia
Prussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
, Saxony
Saxony

The Free State of Saxony is a States of Germany of Germany. Located in the southeastern part of present-day Germany. It is the tenth-largest German state in area and the sixth largest in population , of Germany's sixteen states....
 and Württemberg
Württemberg

W?rttemberg [], formerly known as Wirtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
 - retained their own army upon unification. Prussia had the largest army of the four. After the unification and the formation of the German Empire
German Empire

The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of William I, German Emperor as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became Weimar republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of William II, German Emperor ....
, the Prussian army became the nucleus of the Army of the German Empire (Deutsches Reichsheer). By 1914 the German army fielded 50 active divisions
Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or Formation usually consisting of between ten to thirty thousand soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps....
 and by 1918 251 divisions had been created.

Reichswehr 1918–1935

Following the end of World War I and the collapse of the German Empire
German Empire

The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of William I, German Emperor as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became Weimar republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of William II, German Emperor ....
, most of the German Army (Heer) was demobilized or simply dissolved. Many former soldiers drifted into small paramilitary
Paramilitary

A paramilitary is a force whose function and organisation are similar to those of a professional military force, but which is not regarded as having the same status....
 groups known as Free Corps (Freikorps
Freikorps

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 119-1983-0012, Kapp-Putsch, Marienbrigade Erhardt in Berlin.jpgThe designation of Freikorps was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of 18th century onwards....
). The Free Corps were generally groups of 100 men or fewer that protected a neighbourhood or town.

On 6 March 1919 an army known as the Provisional German Defence Force (Vorläufige Reichswehr) was formed with about 400,000 men, many drawn form the Free Corps. Then, on 30 September 1919 the Transitional Army (Übergangsheer) was created from the Defence Force and the Free Corps.

Finally, on 1 January 1921 the 100,000 man Army of the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic was the democracy and republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933. Following World War I, the republic emerged from the German Revolution in November 1918....
 (Reichswehr
Reichswehr

The Reichswehr formed the armed forces of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht .At the end of World War I, the forces of the German Empire had mostly disintegrated, the men making their way home individually or in small groups....
) was formed with seven Infantry Divisions and three Cavalry Divisions. In November 1923, it was troops from the Army of the Weimar Republic who crushed Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born Germany politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party....
's Beer Hall Putsch
Beer Hall Putsch

The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of Thursday, November 8 and the early afternoon of Friday, November 9, 1923, when the National Socialist German Workers Party's leader Adolf Hitler, the popular World War I General Erich Ludendorff, and other leaders of the Kampfbund, unsuccessfully...
 in Munich
Munich

Munich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Munich is located on the River Isar north of the Northern Limestone Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg....
.

Wehrmacht 1935–1945

Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Reichswehr
Reichswehr

The Reichswehr formed the armed forces of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht .At the end of World War I, the forces of the German Empire had mostly disintegrated, the men making their way home individually or in small groups....
 was only allowed 100,000 men split between the Army and the Navy
German Navy

The German Navy The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the Revolutions of 1848 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy and became the Imperial Navy ....
. Following the 1932 German elections the Nazi
Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the colloquial English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party , which established a Totalitarianism dictatorship that existed from 1933 to 1945....
 party came to power and began to abrogate the treaty. The Army was made part of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
 in May 1935 with the passing of the "Law for the Reconstruction of the National Defence Forces". The Wehrmacht included not just the Army and Navy but also a third branch known as the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. Initially, the Army was expanded to 21 divisional-sized units and smaller formations. Between 1935 and 1945 this force grew to consist of hundreds of divisions and thousands of smaller supporting units. Between 1939 and 1945 close to 16 million served in the Army. Over 1.6 million were killed
World War II casualties

World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history. Tens of millions were killed. The tables below give a detailed country-by-country count of human losses....
 and over 4.1 million were wounded. Of the 7,361 men awarded the initial grade of the highest German combat honour of World War II, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the second highest military order of the Third Reich, second only to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross....
, 4,777 were from the Army, making up 65% of the total awarded. The Allies
Allies

In general, allies are people, groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose....
 dissolved the German Army on 20 August 1946.

Current Army


The Heer was founded in 1955 as the army of West Germany. After 1990, it absorbed the army of socialist East Germany, a part of the Nationale Volksarmee. The former East German forces were initially commanded by the Bunderwehr Command East under command of Lieutenant General Jörg Schönbohm, which was disbanded on 30 June 1991. In the aftermath of the merge, the German Army consisted of four Corps with a manpower of 360,000 men. Hencefoward it was continuously downsized to its current structure which is called "Army of the future". All corps were either disbanded or transferred to a multinational level such as Multinational Corps North East
Multinational Corps North East

Multinational Corps North East was formed on 18 September 1999 at Szczecin, Poland, which became its headquarters. It evolved from what was for many years the only multinational corps in NATO, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland ....
. IV. Corps was reorganized and became a overseas deployment command like the British Permanent Joint Headquarters
Permanent Joint Headquarters

The Permanent Joint Headquarters is the United Kingdom tri-service headquarters from where all overseas military operations are planned and controlled....
. In 1996, an airborne brigade was converted into a new command leading the Army's special forces, known as Kommando Spezialkräfte
Kommando Spezialkräfte

The Kommando Spezialkr?fte is part of Germany's Special Forces. Organized under the Special Operations Division , it is closely modeled on the United Kingdom Special Air Service ....
.

  • see also: Tank formations during the Cold War
    Tank formations during the Cold War

    Tank formations and number of tanks of the most important countries in Europe and the USA during the Cold War.List of units:File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F027421-0002, Kanonenjagdpanzer - Jagdpanzer Kanone 90 mm.jpg...

Personnel

A total of 101,000 soldiers are currently on active service in the German Army. Of these, approximately 17,000 are conscripts
Conscription

Conscription is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by an established authority. It is most often used in the specific sense of government policies that require citizens to serve in the military....
. Additionally, a further 35,000 personnel are reservists of the German Army reserve force
Military reserve force

A military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career....
.

Current structure of the German Army

The German Army is commanded by the Chief of Staff, Army (Inspekteur des Heeres) based at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Berlin and Bonn
Bonn

Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the Capital of Germany West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
. The major commands are the German Army Office in Cologne
Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants....
 and the German Army Forces Command in Koblenz
Koblenz

Koblenz is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle River, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated....
. In 2002 a number of army units and their personnel were transferred to the newly-formed Joint Support Service
Streitkräftebasis

File:Streitkr?ftebasis.pngStreitkr?ftebasis is a branch of the German Bundeswehr established in October 2000 as a result of major reforms of the German Bundeswehr....
 (Streitkräftebasis) and Joint Medical Service branches.

Chief of Staff, German Army
  • Lieutenant General
    Lieutenant General

    Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
     Hans-Otto Budde
  • Army Staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence
    Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)

    The Federal Ministry of Defence is a ministry in the Cabinet of Germany. It is headquartered at Hardth?he in Bonn and has a second office in the Bendlerblock building in Berlin....


German Army Office
The German Army Office in Cologne
Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants....
 (Heeresamt) is the superior authority for all supporting elements of the Army, such as schools and education centres. It is commanded by a Major General
Major General

Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General....
, currently MajGen Joachim Clauß.

  • NBC Defence and Self-Protection School in Sonthofen
    Sonthofen

    Sonthofen is the most southerly town of Germany, located in the Oberallg?u region of the Bavarian Alps. Neighbouring Oberstdorf, is situated 14 km farther south but is not classified as a town....
  • Military Police and Headquarters Services School in Sonthofen
  • Artillery School in Idar-Oberstein
    Idar-Oberstein

    Idar-Oberstein is a city in the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is The German Capital of Gemstone Industry. The city lies on the Nahe River, in the district of Birkenfeld ....
  • Three Officer Candidate Battalions in Idar-Oberstein
    Idar-Oberstein

    Idar-Oberstein is a city in the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is The German Capital of Gemstone Industry. The city lies on the Nahe River, in the district of Birkenfeld ....
    , Münster
    Münster

    M?nster is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region and it is also capital of the government region M?nster ....
     and Hammelburg
    Hammelburg

    Hammelburg is a town in the Bad Kissingen , in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Fr?nkische Saale, 25 km west of Schweinfurt....
  • Special Operations Training Centre (formerly International Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol School) in Pfullendorf
    Pfullendorf

    Pfullendorf is a small historic city in the district of Sigmaringen in Baden-W?rttemberg in Germany....
  • Army Warfighting Simulation Centre in Wildflecken
    Wildflecken

    Wildflecken is a Municipalities of Germany in the Bad Kissingen district, at the border of northeastern Bavaria and southern Hesse. In 2005, its population was 3,285; the postal code is 97772....
  • Army Combat Training Centre in Letzlingen
    Letzlingen

    Letzlingen is a municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany....
  • Army Aviation School in Bückeburg
    Bückeburg

    B?ckeburg is a small town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It was once the capital of the tiny principality of Schaumburg-Lippe and is today located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge....
  • Training Centre Munster
    Munster

    Munster is the southernmost of the four provinces of Ireland. The largest city in Munster is Cork ....
     for
    • Army Air Defence
    • Armour
    • Reconnaissance
  • Mountain and Winter Combat School in Mittenwald
    Mittenwald

    Mittenwald is a Germany town in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen , in Bavaria....
  • Infantry School in Hammelburg
    Hammelburg

    Hammelburg is a town in the Bad Kissingen , in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Fr?nkische Saale, 25 km west of Schweinfurt....
  • Airborne Operations and Air Transport School in Altenstadt
    Altenstadt

    Altenstadt may refer to the following places:*in Germany:**Altenstadt, Hesse, in the Wetterau district**Altenstadt, Swabia, in the district Neu-Ulm, Bavaria...
  • Army Officers' Academy in Dresden
    Dresden

    Dresden is the capital city of the Germany Federal Free state of Saxony. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon triangle metropolitan area....
     with Army Tactics Centre
  • Army NCO Academies (three at different locations)
  • Engineer School and Army School of Structural Engineering in Ingolstadt
    Ingolstadt

    Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As of December 31, 2005, Ingolstadt had 121,801 residents, making it the second-largest city in Upper Bavaria, after Munich....
     (formerly in Munich
    Munich

    Munich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Munich is located on the River Isar north of the Northern Limestone Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg....
    )
  • Army Maintenance School and Army School of Engineering in Aachen
    Aachen

    is a historic spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the westernmost city of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km west of Cologne....


German Army Forces Command
The German Army Forces Command in Koblenz
Koblenz

Koblenz is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle River, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated....
 (Heeresführungskommando) exercises command and control over all combat units. It is commanded by a Lieutenant General. These units include two armour divisions, two mechanized infantry divisions, the Division for Specialized Operations and the Airmobile Division. Depending on their size and role, brigades can be commanded either by a Brigadier General alike or a Colonel
Colonel

Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures....
. Unlike other European armies such of neighbouring Netherlands and France, regiment
Regiment

A regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. Depending on the nation, military branch, mission, and organization, a modern regiment resembles a brigade, in that both range in size from a few hundred to 5,000 soldiers ....
s are no common form of organization and thus rare in the German army. Battalions are most likely directly subordinate to brigades or to divisions as divisional troops.

  • 1st Armoured Division (Response Forces)(Hannover)
    • Divisional troops
    • 9th Armoured Brigade
    • 21st Armoured Brigade "Lipperland
      Principality of Lippe

      Lippe and later Lippe-Detmold was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest....
      "


  • 10th Armoured Division
    10th Armoured Division (Germany)

    The 10th Armoured Division or 10. Panzerdivision is an armoured division in the German German Army of the Bundeswehr.Its HQ garrison is based at Sigmaringen....
     (Sigmaringen
    Sigmaringen

    Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-W?rttemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen ....
    )
    • Divisional troops
    • 12th Armoured Brigade "Upper Palatinate
      Upper Palatinate

      The Upper Palatinate is one of the seven Regierungsbezirks of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of Bavaria. It is subdivided into two regions - Oberpfalz-Nord and Regensburg....
      "
    • 23rd Mountain Infantry Brigade


  • 13th Mechanized Infantry Division
    13th Mechanized Infantry Division (Germany)

    The 13th Mechanized Infantry Division or 13. Panzergrenadierdivision is a mechanized division of the German Army.Its staff is based at Leipzig....
     (Leipzig
    Leipzig

    Leipzig is, with a population of over 511,252, the largest city in the States of Germany of Saxony, Germany....
    )
    • Divisional troops
    • 37th Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Free State Saxony
      Saxony

      The Free State of Saxony is a States of Germany of Germany. Located in the southeastern part of present-day Germany. It is the tenth-largest German state in area and the sixth largest in population , of Germany's sixteen states....
      "
    • 41st Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Vorpommern
      Hither Pomerania

      Western Pomerania or Hither Pomerania are terms used in English to translate the German language Vorpommern the western extremity of the historic region of the Pomeranian duchies and dukes#Duchy of Pomerania, later Province of Pomerania, nowadays divided between the States of Germany of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Poland....
      "


  • Division for Specialized Operations
    Division Special Operations (Germany)

    Division Special Operations or Division Spezielle Operationen is a division of the German Army.Its staff is based at Regensburg. The structure and tasks of this division are unique within the modern German military....
     (Regensburg
    Regensburg

    Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen River rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube....
    )
    • Divisional troops
    • Special Forces Command
      Kommando Spezialkräfte

      The Kommando Spezialkr?fte is part of Germany's Special Forces. Organized under the Special Operations Division , it is closely modeled on the United Kingdom Special Air Service ....
       (brigade-equivalent)
    • 26th Airborne Brigade "Saarland
      Saarland

      Saarland is one of the 16 States of Germany of Germany. The capital is Saarbr?cken. It has an area of 2570 km? and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population it is the smallest of the German Fl?chenl?nder , i.e., those that are not City States ....
      "
    • 31st Airborne Brigade "Oldenburg
      Oldenburg

      ||-||-||-||}Oldenburg is an Independent City in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen , at the Hunte river....
      "


  • Airmobile Operations Division
    Airmobile Operations Division

    The Airmobile Operations Division is a division of the German Army. Its headquarters is based at Veitsh?chheim near W?rzburg. The division was founded on 1 July 2002 and became operational on 8 October 2002....
     (Veitshöchheim
    Veitshöchheim

    Veitsh?chheim is a municipality in the W?rzburg , in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Main, 6 km northwest of W?rzburg....
    )
    • Divisional troops
    • Air Manoeuvre Brigade 1
    • Army Combat Support Brigade


  • Eurocorps
    Eurocorps

    Eurocorps is a multinational army corps within the framework of European Union and NATO common defence initiatives. Headquartered in Strasbourg, France, the force was established in 1992 and declared operational in 1995, though it draws from European defence initiatives as far back as the 1960s....
     (Strasbourg
    Strasbourg

    Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace Regions of France in northeastern France. With 702,412 inhabitants in 2007, its metropolitan area is the Aire urbaine....
    )
    • Command Support Brigade
    • German elements in two permanent battalions and one HHC
      Headquarters and Headquarters Company

      In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher....


  • 1 (German/Netherlands) Corps (Münster
    Münster

    M?nster is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region and it is also capital of the government region M?nster ....
    )
    • German elements in two permanent battalions and one HHC
      Headquarters and Headquarters Company

      In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher....


  • Multinational Corps North East
    Multinational Corps North East

    Multinational Corps North East was formed on 18 September 1999 at Szczecin, Poland, which became its headquarters. It evolved from what was for many years the only multinational corps in NATO, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland ....
     (Szczecin
    Szczecin

    Szczecin is the Capital of West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest port in Poland on the Baltic Sea....
    )
    • 610th Signal Battalion
    • German elements


  • Franco-German Brigade
    Franco-German Brigade

    The Franco-German Brigade is a joint formation consisting of units from both the French Army and German Army armies and is integrated in Eurocorps....
     Müllheim
    Müllheim

    M?llheim is a town in Baden-W?rttemberg in southern Germany. It belongs to the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald. Mullheim is generally considered to be the center of the region known as Markgr?flerland....


  • Army Central Dump Herongen
    Straelen

    Straelen is a municipality in the Cleves , in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the border with the Netherlands, approx. 10 km north-east of Venlo....


  • Army Central Dump Pirmasens
    Pirmasens

    Art = Stadt|image_photo = PS-Altes Rathaus edit.JPG|image_caption = Old town hall|Wappen = Wappen Pirmasens.svg...


  • Central Mobilisation Base in Brück
    Brück

    Br?ck is a town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 29 km southwest of Potsdam, and 28 km southeast of Brandenburg ....


Truppengattungen'


The German Army has eleven different branches of troops, designated as Truppengattungen. Each Truppengattung is responsible for training and readiness of its units and disposes of its own schools and centres of excellence for doing so. Optically this distinction can be made by the branch colour, called Waffenfarbe which is displayed by a cord attached to the rank insignia, and the colour of their beret with a specific badge attached to it.

Beret Colour (Army only)
  • Black: Armoured Troops, Reconnaissance Troops
  • Green: Mechanized Infantry and Rifles
  • Dark Red: Aviation Troops, Airborne Troops, Special Forces, troops assigned to airborne formations
  • Light Red: Combat Support Troops and Military Police
  • Dark Blue: Medical Troops
  • Navy Blue: Multinational Units, Officer Cadet Battalions, Navy Security Units
  • Bright Blue: Troops with United Nations Missions


Waffenfarbe
Waffenfarbe

Waffenfarbe is a means the German military uses to distinguish between different corps or troop functions in its armed services. The waffenfarbe is the colour of the collar badge, of the cord around the shoulder boards and - for enlisted ranks - of the cord around the collar and the schiffchen cap....
 (Army and army support branch only)

  • Bright Red:General ranks (only "Kragenspiegel", not "Litze"),
  • Crimson: General Staff


Rank structure


The rank structure of the German army is adjusted to the rank structure of the NATO. Unlike its predecessors, the modern German Army does not use the rank of Colonel General
Colonel General

Colonel General is a senior military rank which is used in some of the world?s militaries. North Korea and Russia are two nations which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories....
. The highest rank for an army officer is Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
, as the rank of Full General
General

A General officer is an Officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general....
 is reserved for the Armed Forces chief of staff or officers serving as NATO officers. Officer cadets do not pass through all enlisted ranks, but are directly promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant

Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police commissioned officer military rank.Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure....
 after 36 months of service.
Officers of the German Army
General
General

A General officer is an Officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general....
 
(General)
Gen		Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
 (Generalleutnant)
GenLt/GL
Major General
Major General

Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General....
 (Generalmajor)
GenMaj/GM		Brigadier
Brigadier

Brigadier is a military Military rank, the meaning of which has a considerable variation....
 (Brigadegeneral
General (Germany)

General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to an Admiral in the German Navy ....
)
BrigGen/BG
Colonel
Colonel

Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures....
 
(Oberst
Oberst

Oberst is a military rank in several German -speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway....
)
Oberst/O		Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel

Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the army and most Marine and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel....
 
(Oberstleutnant)
Oberstlt/OTL
OF-9OF-8OF-7OF-6OF-5OF-4
Bwgeneral
Bwgeneralmajor
Bwbrigadegeneral
Bwoberst
Bwoberstleutnant


Officers of the German Army
Major
Major

In many European languages, the term Major refers to a military rank, denoting seniority at one of usually various levels of rank, for example: "Sergeant-Major" denoting the most senior ranking sergeant of a large military unit; "Captain-Major", denoting a mid-level command status Officer ...
 
(Major)
Maj/M
Staff Captain
Stabshauptmann

Stabshauptmann is the highest military rank in the Bundeswehr for specialist officers . Instead of being promoted to the rank of major, specialist officers are promoted to the rank of Stabshauptmann and given the salary of a major....
 (Stabshauptmann)
StHptm/SH		Captain
Captain (UK)

Captain is a rank in the British Armed Forces which used by two separate rank grades:*Captain The rank in the Royal Navy is at the NATO OF-5 grade...
 
(Hauptmann)
Hptm/H		1st Lieutenant (Oberleutnant)
OLt /OL
Lieutenant
Lieutenant

Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police commissioned officer military rank.Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure....
 (Leutnant)
Lt/L
OF-3OF-2OF-2OF-1OF-1
Bwmajor
Bwstabshauptmann
Bwhauptmann
Bwoberleutnant
Bwleutnant
Non-Commissioned Officers of the German Army
Command Sergeant Major (Oberstabsfeldwebel)
OStFw/OSF		Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major

A Sergeant Major is a rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth of Nations countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers....
(Stabsfeldwebel)
StFw/SF
1st Sergeant
Colour Sergeant

File:Face to face.jpgColour Sergeant is a non-commissioned officer rank in the Royal Marines and infantry regiments of the British Army, ranking above Sergeant and below Warrant Officer Class 2....
 (Oberfähnrich)
(officer cadet)
OFähnr/OFR		1st Sergeant (Hauptfeldwebel)
HptFw/HF		Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant

A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces....
 (Oberfeldwebel)
OFw/OF
OR-9OR-8OR-8OR-7OR-6
Oberstabsfeldwebel
Stabsfeldwebel
Oberfaehnrich
Hauptfeldwebel
Oberfeldwebel
Non-Commissioned Officers of the German Army
Sergeant 1st Class
(Fähnrich)
(officer cadet)
Fähnr/FR		Sergeant 1st Class
(Feldwebel
Feldwebel

Feldwebel is a Germany military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually, but incorrectly, translated as Sergeant....
)
Fw/F		Staff Sergeant (Stabsunteroffizier)
StUffz/SU
Sergeant
(Fahnenjunker
Cadet

A cadet may mean a future officer in the military, a junior branch of an important family, or simply a person who is a junior trainee....
)
(officer cadet)
Fhj/FJ		Sergeant
(Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier

Unteroffizier is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century....
)
Uffz/U
OR-6OR-6OR-5OR-5OR-5
Faehnrich
Feldwebel
Fahnenjunker
Unteroffizier
Enlisted Ranks of the German Army
Corporal
Corporal

Corporal is a Military rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to Ranks and insignia of NATO....
 (Oberstabsgefreiter)
OStGefr/OSG		Staff Corporal
Staff Corporal

Staff Corporal is the equivalent rank to Staff Sergeant in the Household Cavalry, ranking between Corporal of Horse and Warrant Officer Class 2....
 (Stabsgefreiter)
StGefr/SG
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal

Lance Corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of Corporal, and is typically the lowest Non-commissioned officer or enlisted rank, usually equivalent to the Ranks and insignia of NATO....
 (Hauptgefreiter)
HptGefr/HG		Lance Corporal (Obergefreiter
Obergefreiter

Obergefreiter is rank of the Germany and Switzerland militaries which dates from the 19th century....
)
(officer cadet)
OGefr/OG		Lance Corporal
(Obergefreiter)
(NCO cadet)
Gefr/G
OR-4OR-4OR-3OR-3OR-3
Oberstabsgefreiter
Stabsgefreiter
Hauptgefreiter
Obergefreiteroa
Obergefreiterua
Enlisted Ranks of the German Army
Lance Corporal (Obergefreiter)
OGefr/OG		Private 1st Class
Private (rank)

A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank . The term dates from the Middle Ages, where privates were known as "private soldiers" who were either hired, conscripted, or feudalism into service by a nobleman forming an army....
 
(Gefreiter OA)
(officer cadet)
Gefr/G		Private 1st Class
(Gefreiter UA)
(NCO cadet)
Gefr/G		Private 1st Class
(Gefreiter
Gefreiter

Gefreiter is the Germany, Switzerland and Austrian equivalent for Private in the armed services. Gefreiter was the lowest rank to which an ordinary soldier could be promoted....
)
Gefr/G		Private
(Soldat)
S
OR-3OR-2OR-2OR-2OR-1
Obergefreiter
Gefreiter
Soldat


Weapons


Standard light weapons

  • Heckler & Koch G36
    Heckler & Koch G36

    The G36 is a Germany 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifle, designed in the early 1990s by Heckler & Koch and accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997, replacing the 7.62x51mm NATO Heckler & Koch G3 automatic rifle....
    —5.56 mm x 45 assault rifle
    Assault rifle

    An assault rifle is a rifle designed for combat, with selective fire . Assault rifles are the standard small arms in most modern Army, having largely superseded or supplemented battle rifles such as the World War II-era M1 Garand rifle and SVT-40....
     (Version G36K and G36C for several branches including Special Forces)
  • Heckler & Koch MG4—5.56 mm light machine gun
    Machine gun

    A machine gun is a Automatic firearm mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire List of rifle cartridgess in quick succession from an Belt or large-capacity Magazine , typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
  • MG3
    Rheinmetall MG3

    The MG3 is a Germany air-cooled, belt general purpose machine gun chambered in the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. The design traces back to the World War II era MG42 machine gun that fired the 7.92x57mm Mauser round....
    —7.62 mm x 51 machine gun
  • G8—7.62 mm x 51 automatic rifle, only used by special forces
  • HK21E—7.62 mm x 51 machine gun, only used by special forces
  • Heckler & Koch MP7
    Heckler & Koch MP7

    The MP7 is a Germany submachine gun manufactured by Heckler & Koch and chambered for the 4.6x30mm cartridge. It was designed in conjunction with the new cartridge to meet NATO requirements published in 1989 calling for a personal defense weapon class firearm with a greater ability to defeat body armor than current weapons, which are limited...
    —4.6 mm x 30 submachine gun
    Submachine gun

    A submachine gun is a firearm that combines the automatic firearm of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol, and is usually between the two in weight and size....
    , replacing the MP2
  • MP2
    Uzi submachine gun

    The Uzi is a related family of submachine guns. Smaller variants are considered machine pistols.The first Uzi submachine gun was designed by Uziel Gal in the late 1940s....
    —9 x 19 mm submachine gun
  • Heckler & Koch MP5
    Heckler & Koch MP5

    The MP5 is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun of Germany design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the West Germany arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar....
    —9 x 19 mm submachine gun, used by various units like the Feldjäger
    Feldjäger

    The Feldj?ger are the military police of the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces. The term Feldj?ger, literally meaning field huntsmen , has a long tradition and dates back to the mid-17th century....
     and special forces
  • Heckler & Koch P8
    Heckler & Koch USP

    The USP is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar as a replacement for the expensive and somewhat complex Heckler & Koch P7 series of handguns....
    —9 x 19 mm pistol
  • G22
    Accuracy International AWM

    The AWM is a sniper rifle manufactured by Accuracy International. It is also known as the AWSM .The Arctic Warfare Magnum system...
    —7.62 mm x 66.5B
    .300 Winchester Magnum

    .300 Winchester Magnum is a popular magnum rifle Cartridge that was introduced by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963 as a member of the family of Winchester Magnum cartridges....
     sniper rifle
    Sniper rifle

    In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a rifle used to ensure accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than small arms....
  • G24—sniper rifle, only used by special forces
  • G82—sniper rifle
  • HK MSG3—7.62 mm x 51 designated marksman rifle
  • Dynamit Nobel Panzerfaust 3
    Panzerfaust 3

    The Panzerfaust 3 is a modern and disposable recoilless anti-tank weapon developed between 1978 and 1985 and put into service by the Bundeswehr in 1992....
    —anti-tank rocket launcher
    Rocket launcher

    Rocket launcher or missile launcher can mean* Rocket propelled grenade, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead...
  • Raytheon Fliegerfaust 2 (FIM-92 Stinger)
    FIM-92 Stinger

    The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981....
    —infrared
    Infrared

    Infrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light , but shorter than that of terahertz radiation and microwaves ....
     homing surface-to-air missile
    Surface-to-air missile

    A surface to air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. It is a type of anti-aircraft....
  • MILAN
    Milan

    Milan is the second largest city of Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. It is the capital in the Province of Milan, as well as the Regions of Italy capital of Lombardy....
    —anti-tank guided missile system
  • Granatpistole 40mm—grenade launcher
    Grenade launcher

    A grenade launcher is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
  • HK GMG—grenade autocannon
    Autocannon

    File:Autocannon MLG27.jpgAn autocannon is a rapid fire projectile weapon. Autocannon often have a larger caliber than a machine gun , but there is no maximum or minimum caliber that makes a weapon an autocannon....
  • AG36
    AG36

    The AG36 is a single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed primarily for installation on the Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle, designed by the Germany weapons manufacturing company Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar....
    —grenade launcher
  • KM2000
    KM2000

    The KM2000 is the standard knife of the German Bundeswehr, mostly used by the German Army.The knife is produced according to NATO regulations by the German company Eickhorn-Solingen Ltd....
    —172 mm tanto
    Tanto

    A is a common Japanese single or, occasionally, double edged knife or dagger with a blade length between 15 and 30 cm . The tanto was designed primarily as a stabbing weapon, but the edge can be used for cutting as well....
     style blade standard combat knife
    Knife

    A knife is a handheld sharp-edged instrument consisting of a handle attached to a blade that is used for cutting. Knives were used at least Stone Age, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools....


Reconnaissance systems

  • Fennek
    Fennek

    The Fennek, named after the Fennec Fox , or LGS Fennek, with LGS being short for Leichter Gepanzerter Sp?hwagen in German language , is a four wheeled armed reconnaissance vehicle produced by the Germany company Krauss-Maffei and Netherlands Defence Vehicle Systems....
     (light armoured reconnaissance vehicle), replacing some Luchs
  • Luchs A2 (wheeled reconnaissance vehicle)
  • CL289 (reconnaissance drone system)
  • Luna X 2000
    Luna X 2000

    Luna X 2000 is a Germany unmanned aerial vehicle in service with the Bundeswehr .It's intended for close reconnaissance , transmitting live video data or taking higher resolution still images, but it can also perform other tasks such as particle sampling, Electronic warfare support measures/Electronic countermeasures , depending on it...
     (reconnaissance drone system)
  • KZO
    KZO (aircraft)

    KZO is an unmanned aerial vehicle with stealth technology characteristics manufactured by Rheinmetall Defence Electronics of Germany.A KZO system consists of 10 UAVs and 2 ground units, consisting of one control station, one radio, one launch, one maintenance vehicle with a refuelling facility for the UAVs and one recovery vehicle....
     (reconnaissance drone system)
  • Aladin
    Aladin (UAV)

    EMT Aladin is a small, man-portable light reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle employed by the Bundeswehr .The UAV can be radio-controlled via a portable control station, or fly according to previously set GPS coordinations....
      (reconnaissance drone system)
  • MIKADO (mini reconnaissance drone system)
  • RASIT (radar system), being phased out
  • BÜR (radar system), replacing RASIT and ABRA


Combat vehicles

Schuetzenpanzer Puma
* Leopard 2
Leopard 2

The Leopard 2 is a Germany main battle tank developed by Krauss-Maffei in the early 1970s and first entering service in 1979. The Leopard 2 replaced the earlier Leopard MBT as the main battle tank of the German Army....
 (Main Battle Tank)
    • A4, being phased out
    • A5
    • A6
  • Marder 1 A3/A5
    Marder (IFV)

    The Marder is a Germany infantry fighting vehicle operated by the German Army as the main weapon of the Panzergrenadiere from the 1970s through the present day....
     (infantry fighting vehicle)
  • Puma (IFV)
    Puma (IFV)

    The Puma is a Germany infantry fighting vehicle, currently in the pre-production stage. It will replace the aging Marder IFVs, from 2010 through 2020....
     (infantry fighting vehicle), replaces the Marder in the Mechanized Infantry
  • Wiesel 1/2 (light air-transportable tracked multirole vehicle)
    • as a reconnaissance vehicle for the airborne troops
    • with autocannon 20 mm
    • with TOW anti-tank guided missile
    • with mortar 120 mm
    • as a radar vehicle for the light air defence system (LeFlaSys)
    • as a command vehicle for the LeFlaSys
    • as an engineer reconnaissance vehicle
    • with Stinger equipped for the LeFlaSys
    • as a medical vehicle for the airborne troops
  • M113 A2
    M113 Armored Personnel Carrier

    The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that formed the backbone of the US Army's mobile infantry units from the time of its introduction in the 1960s....
     (multirole armoured vehicle), being phased out (date uncertain)
  • GTK Boxer
    Boxer MRAV

    The Boxer is a Germany-Netherlands multirole armoured fighting vehicle designed to accomplish a number of operations through the use of installable mission modules....
     (multirole armoured vehicle), replaces M113 and Fuchs
  • Dingo 1/2
    ATF Dingo

    The ATF Dingo is a Germany heavily armored military truck based on a Unimog chassis with a V-hull design, produced by the company Krauss-Maffei....
     (armoured wheeled vehicle)
  • Eagle IV
    MOWAG Eagle

    The MOWAG Eagle is a wheeled armored vehicle designed by the Switzerland MOWAG corporation. It has gone through several generations of development....
     (armoured wheeled vehicle)
  • LAPV Enok
    LAPV Enok

    The LAPV Enok is an armoured military vehicle of the Bundeswehr, mostly in use with the German Army. It is a significantly further developed Wolf SSA, based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class....
     (light armoured patrol vehicle)
  • Grizzly
    KMW Grizzly

    The KMW Grizzly is a new, medium weight highly protected vehicle, developed by Krauss-Maffei , designed for operation with the German Army based on the 6x6 Iveco Trakker chassis from IVECO adapted to meet the needs of the German Army....
     (armoured wheeled vehicle)
  • AGF Serval
    AGF (Light infantry vehicle)

    The Aufkl?rungs- und Gefechtsfahrzeug , sometimes also called the Serval, is a significantly modified version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class procurred by the German Army for the KSK special forces in 2003....
     (reconnaissance and combat vehicle)
  • YAK (Duro III)
    Rheinmetall YAK

    The YAK is a heavily armored and mine-protected transport vehicle produced by the German company Rheinmetall based on the DURO IIIP chassis from the Swiss company Mowag corporation....
     (armoured wheeled vehicle)
  • Mungo ESK
    Mungo ESK

    The Mungo ESK is an air-transportable, armoured multirole transport vehicle of the German Army for its Airmobile Operations Division and Division Special Operations ....
     (armoured transport vehicle)
  • Fuchs 1/2 (multirole armoured vehicle)
  • BV 206 S
    Bandvagn 206

    Bandvagn 206 is a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier developed by H?gglunds for the Swedish Army. It consists of two units, with all four tracks powered....
     (tracked armoured transport vehicle)


Artillery

  • M270 MLRS
    M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System

    The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is a multiple rocket launcher, a type of rocket artillery.The first rocket systems were delivered to the United States Army in 1983....
     (227 mm multiple rocket launcher)
  • PzH 2000 (155 mm self-propelled howitzer)
  • ABRA (artillery radar system), being phased out
  • Mortar TAMPELLA (120 mm)
  • Mortar "R" (120 mm)
  • COBRA (counter artillery radar system)
  • ATMAS (artillery weather measure system)
  • SMA (artillery sound measure system)


Air Defence Systems

Ozelot
  • Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard
    Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard

    For the World War II German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun see Flakpanzer 38The Flakpanzer Gepard is an autonomous, all-weather-capable Germany self-propelled anti-aircraft gun ....
     1 A2 (self-propelled anti air gun)
  • LeFlaSys
    Wiesel 1

    The Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carrier is a German light air-transportable armoured fighting vehicle, more specifically a lightly-armoured weapons carrier....
     (light anti-aircraft missile system), based on Wiesel 2
  • C-RAM (counter rocket, artillery, and mortar system), to be delivered in 2009
  • SysFla (system air defence - mobile and stationary platforms using the LFK NG
    LFK NG

    LFK NG, which stands for "Lenkflugk?rper Neue Generation" , is currently under development by LFK and Diehl BGT Defence as the new short-range surface-to-air missile system for the German Army as a replacement for its former Roland and as a part of the army's new air defence program "SysFla" to supplement the new Wiesel_1#Wiesel_2 air defe...
    ), under development
  • LÜR (radar system), being phased out
  • BÜR (radar system)

Engineer equipment

  • Dachs (tracked engineer tank)
  • Büffel
    Leopard 2

    The Leopard 2 is a Germany main battle tank developed by Krauss-Maffei in the early 1970s and first entering service in 1979. The Leopard 2 replaced the earlier Leopard MBT as the main battle tank of the German Army....
     (tracked salvage tank)
  • Biber (bridge layer)
  • Panzerschnellbrücke 2 (bridge layer), replacing the Biber
  • Skorpion (mine layer)
  • Keiler (mine breaker)
  • M3 Amphibious Rig
    M3 Amphibious Rig

    The M3 Amphibious Rig is a self-propelled amphibious warfare bridging vehicle that is used for the projection of tanks and vehicles across water obstacles....
     (amphibious vehicle)
  • Motorboot 3 (motorboat)
  • Medium Girder Bridge (bridge system)
  • Faltfestbrücke (solid bridge system)
  • Faltschwimmbrücke (swimming bridge system)
  • Pontoon bridge
  • Faltstraßensystem (mobile roadway system)


Aircraft inventory

Eurocopter Ec 135 Bundeswehr
The German Army operates more than 320 helicopters. Nearly all were built in Germany while nearly 40% are indigenous designs. 80 Eurocopter Tiger
Eurocopter Tiger

The Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre....
 and 80 NH90 helicopters have been ordered.

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |----- | UH-1 Iroquois
UH-1 Iroquois

The Bell Helicopter UH-1 Iroquois, commonly known as the "Huey", is a multipurpose military helicopter, famous for its use in the Vietnam War....
 || || utility helicopter || UH-1D || 82 || being withdrawn; built by Dornier |----- | Bölkow Bo 105
Bölkow Bo 105

The MBB Bo 105 is a light, twin-engine, multi-purpose utility helicopter developed by B?lkow of Stuttgart, Germany. Production began under Messerschmitt-B?lkow-Blohm , which became a part of Eurocopter in 1991....
 || || utility/attack helicopter || PAH-1/VBH|| 180 || |----- | Eurocopter EC 135
Eurocopter EC 135

The EC 135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services, and for executive transport....
 || || utility helicopter || || 15 || |----- | Eurocopter Tiger
Eurocopter Tiger

The Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre....
 || || attack helicopter || || 80 (planned), entered service || |----- | NHI NH90
NHI NH90

The NHI NH90 is a medium sized, twin-engine, multi-role military, fly-by-wire helicopter manufactured by NHIndustries. The NH90, which can be flown by a single pilot, is designed to operate by night and day and in poor weather....
 || || transport helicopter || NH90 TTH || 80 (planned), entered service || |----- | Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion || || transport helicopter || CH-53G/CH-53GS || 96 || 110 built by VFW |}

Logistic equipment

  • SLT 50-3 Elefant
    SLT 50-3 Elefant

    The SLT 50 is a heavy duty tractor unit and tank transporter currently in use by the German Army....
     (heavy tractor trailer, tank transporter
    Tank transporter

    File:Diamond T M20.jpgA tank transporter is a specialized road vehicle for the transport of tanks, to and from the battlefield or during peacetime....
    )
  • Berge- und Kranfahrzeug, BKF 30.40 (salvage vehicle)


Non-combat vehicles

  • Mercedes-Benz 250 GD "Wolf"
    Mercedes-Benz G-Class

    For G-class stars, see Stellar classification.The Mercedes-Benz G-Class or G-Wagen, short for Gel?ndewagen , is a four-wheel drive vehicle / sport utility vehicle produced by German automaker Mercedes-Benz....
  • KTM LC4 Military 27 PS, motorcycle
  • ATV Yamaha Kodiak 400, Quad
  • LKW 2t mil gl, 4x4 (Unimog)
    Unimog

    Unimog designates a range of multi purpose four wheel drive medium trucks produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The name Unimog is in German and is an acronym for the German language "UNIversal-MOtor-Ger?t", Ger?t being the German word for machine or device....
  • 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
  • Volkswagen T platform (T3/T4)
    Volkswagen T platform

    The Volkswagen Group T platform is a van automobile platform from Volkswagen Group. It has been used for the Volkswagen Transporter range, from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, for over 55 years....


Further reading



See also

  • Bundeswehr
    Bundeswehr

    The Bundeswehr is the name of the unified armed forces of the Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The States of Germany are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the Constitution determines that matters of defense fall into the sole responsibility of the Federal government....
  • Heer
    Heer

    Heer [IPA: he?] is German language for "army". Generally, its use as "army" is not restricted to any particular country, so "das britische Heer" would mean "the British army"....
  • Infantryman of the Future
    IdZ

    Infanterist der Zukunft is the Germany Bundeswehr's program as part of the Future Soldier project.The IdZ or "Infanterist der Zukunft" is a modular, integrated fighting system designed to provide significant lethality, survivability, mobility, battle command, and training to the German infantryman....
  • History of Germany during World War II
    History of Germany during World War II

    The history of Germany during World War II closely parallels that of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933....
  • Prussian Army
    Prussian Army

    The Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War....
  • Reichswehr
    Reichswehr

    The Reichswehr formed the armed forces of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht .At the end of World War I, the forces of the German Empire had mostly disintegrated, the men making their way home individually or in small groups....


External links

  • in German


Historical links

  • - Colour photographs of German infantry during World War II
  • - German Mountain Troops
  • - Axis History site including German troops.