Operation Dragonfly
Yugoslavia (Kosovo) (1999)
Afghanistan (2001-2014)
War in Afghanistan (since 2015)
Military operation against the "Islamic State"
Intervention in Syria
History
| History of the German army | |
|---|---|
| Army of the East Frankish Kingdom | |
| Army of the German Kingdom | |
| Imperial army | |
| German Federal Army | |
| Saxon army | |
| Württemberg army | |
| Bavarian army | |
| Prussian army | |
| Reichsheer | |
| Reichswehr | |
| Wehrmacht | |
| SS troops | |
| Volksarmee | |
| Bundeswehr | |
The Bundeswehr was created ten years after the end of World War II, on June 7, 1955. The German Ministry of Defense was opened that day. The first 100 volunteers of the new German army in Bonn on November 12 took an oath of allegiance to their fatherland in accordance with the traditions and ritual of the "old German army". However, the name "Bundeswehr" appeared only in 1956.
The founding of the German army was preceded by the signing of agreements in Paris in 1954, according to which the occupation regime was abolished on the territory of the FRG, and its state sovereignty was restored. Germany was admitted to NATO. Chancellor Konrad Adenauer's cabinet adopted a new constitutional concept for an army under parliamentary control. The country's Basic Law banned the use of the army outside Germany. Until 1957, the Bundeswehr was recruited, but in 1957 conscription for compulsory military service was introduced.
During the first 40 years after its creation, the Bundeswehr, in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany, did not participate in military operations. The situation changed only in the mid-1990s. On July 12, 1994, the German Constitutional Court decided to repeal the 1982 amendment to the 24th chapter of the Basic Law, which prohibited the participation of the Bundeswehr in military operations abroad. By the decision of the Constitutional Court, any "constitutional objections" to Germany's participation in UN-sanctioned peacekeeping and peacekeeping operations were removed. German soldiers began to be involved in peacekeeping operations abroad.
Structure
Organization
Ground troops
Organizationally, the ground forces ( Heer) consist of subunits (squad, platoon, company), units (separate battalion, regiment), formations (brigade, division, corps) and formations (separate corps, army, front). In its composition, the ground forces have various types of troops, special troops and services. In total, the ground forces include: 23 brigades (9 deployed mechanized, 2 airborne, 2 logistic support, mountain infantry, air mechanized, army aviation, artillery, engineering, air defense, RChBZ troops, as well as 3 mechanized reduced personnel); command of special forces; German component of the Franco-German brigade.
Naval forces
Naval forces ( Marine) include: Navy, Naval Aviation and Special Forces (Marine Corps, SEK M). The command of the naval forces is carried out by a naval inspector through the main headquarters of the navy. The operational command and central administration are subordinate to him. The Navy is the main component and basis of Germany's maritime potential, one of the state's foreign policy instruments and is designed to protect the interests of Germany and its allies in the World Ocean by military methods, maintain military-political stability in the adjacent seas, military security from the sea. and ocean destinations.
Air Force
Air Force ( Luftwaffe) is headed by an inspector who manages them through the main headquarters of the Air Force. The total number of the Luftwaffe is 34 thousand servicemen, in their composition: 4 divisions, including reconnaissance, 4 fighter-bomber, 3 fighter squadrons and 4 air defense squadrons, 4 operational use control areas, as well as an object cover battalion; the command of military transport aviation, including 3 squadrons of the military transport and the air transport group of the German Ministry of Defense; Air Force Operations Command; 2 regiment of logistics and armament service center.
Cyber \u200b\u200band information space
Main article: Cyber \u200b\u200band information space in Germany
Cyber \u200b\u200band information space ( Cyber- und Informationsraum) is headed by an inspector with the rank of lieutenant general. This is the newest category of forces in the Bundeswehr, recreated on April 5, 2017 from the units that until that moment were part of the Joint Support Forces, such as communications, electronic warfare and intelligence, psychological operations and topographic support units.
Joint support forces
Joint support forces ( Streitkräftebasis) is headed by an inspector with the rank of Deputy Inspector General of the Bundeswehr. With the completion of the formation of the CCA, it is planned to assign them the tasks of management, support and training. Among the most important functions of the new component of the Armed Forces, the following are named: operational control, centralized support, information processing, ensuring the defense of the national territory, maintaining warehouses under central control.
Health service
Medical and sanitary service ( Zentrale Sanitätsdienst) The Bundeswehr is headed by an inspector who has about 23,000 servicemen at his disposal. The operational command of the health service is subordinate to the operational command of the ISS and four military districts. In April 2001, the formation of the central office of the MCC began.
German military forces abroad
Clergy in the Bundeswehr
Religious education in the German armed forces has always been given serious attention. Although there was no legislation on military clergy until 1919, at the end of the 15th century, a regimental chaplain was on the staff of the German regiment of Landsknechts.
In 1919, the military-spiritual administration was created, which was part of the court division of the pension and judicial department. The administration was headed by the field chief evangelical and the field chief Catholic priests. In Prussia, the military clergy of the Evangelical Church was in charge of the military chief pastor (Militär-Oberpfarrer). In the branches of the military, the military clergy was subordinate to the senior pastor. The religious needs of Lutherans and Catholics were met separately.
The residence of the senior pastor of the German Navy was in the city of Kiel. Each priest of the German navy had up to 4 ships under his authority, on which he alternately performed services on Sundays. In addition, the pastor came to the ship twice a week to talk with the crew. Official time was allocated for conversations, which were usually of a religious and military-historical nature. During the conversation, the entire crew of the ship was released from work.
Also in the Bundeswehr are priests of the Protestant (Evangelical) Church. The Lutheran military bishop is appointed by the Council of the Evangelical Church of Germany in consultation with the federal government. The total number of Catholic and Protestant chaplains serving in the Bundeswehr is about 90.
While the situation with Syria continues to deteriorate threateningly, in the center of Berlin, at the headquarters of the German Ministry of Defense, military, armored personnel carriers, Patriot systems appeared, the latest military developments of the Bundeswehr and NATO were uncovered and prepared. Is it a coincidence? Trying to figure it out and getting to know the German army.
After World War II, Germany had its own army in 1955.
The Department of Defense is the supreme command agency of the armed forces and, from an organizational point of view, belongs to the federal government. A very important point in the management structure is that most of top positions, including the Minister of Defense (currently Thomas de Mizière, Thomas de Maizière), are civilians. The decision to conduct military operations is not made by one person (for example, the chancellor or the president), but by the Bundestag.
The structure of the Ministry of Defense is quite simple: the Bundeswehr consists of two parts: military and civil (civil). Civil includes management, department for personnel, weapons and equipment, infrastructure, protection environment, legal support and care for the state of mind of the military. By the military, there are three main branches of the armed forces (ground forces, air force and naval forces), as well as the central health service and support forces.
Since 2011, there is no conscription in the FRG, the entire army is contractual. As of the summer of 2013, 185,000 soldiers are serving in the Bundeswehr.
Now the Ministry of Defense is located in the so-called Bendlerblock (German: Bendlerblock). Bendlerblock is a complex of buildings in which at different times were located the main command of the Wehrmacht, the main command of the Navy, military intelligence, the command of the city's defense, the headquarters of the reserve ground forces... In addition, it was here that Klaus von Stauffenberg was involved in the preparation of the "Valkyrie" plan (you probably watched the movie "Operation Valkyrie"?) And the attempt on Hitler's life on July 20, 1944. This plan provided for the transfer of control of the country to the headquarters of the reserve of ground forces in the event of internal unrest.
Once a year, the Ministry of Defense holds an open door, which is why it has become possible to get to know more closely the current NATO technology.
This is how the latest 45-kilogram uniform of the Bundeswehr soldiers serving in Afghanistan looks like.
Soldiers do not have a microphone in the usual sense now. Special multifunctional headphones are used through which sound is transmitted. And even with a high level of noise, the soldier can easily negotiate with colleagues.
Modern light reconnaissance armored car "Fennek".
Multipurpose armored vehicle GTX Boxer.
They noticed me.
Rocket launcher of the Patriot complex.
Automatic G36C.
Sniper rifle G82.
Laser module.
Bundeswehr soldiers are happy to talk about various technical details. Many things can be touched, held.
NATO caliber - 5.56.
Dry rations.
Field kitchen.
A mobile military hospital.
Unmanned helicopter MUSECO.
Armored Mowag Eagle
Monument to the fallen soldiers of the Bundeswehr.
The holes are not random. As conceived by the architect, they symbolize life and death. The individual serviceman's neck badge is oval, consists of two parts, fastened together. When a soldier dies, the tag is broken, one part is sent home, the other remains on the soldier. In addition, Morse code users will be able to read encrypted repeating text through these holes.
Since 1955, more than 3,100 soldiers have died during military operations, 54 of them in Afghanistan.
A few more photos:
On that day, many ministries had an open day. Hans-Peter Friedrich - Minister of the Interior.
In conclusion, I want to show a short video from the Bundeswehr channel on YouTube about the open day. I can be found at 1:25.
PS At the moment I am continuing my European tour of the Visegrad four countries, stuck in the Slovak city of Kosice. Something already appears in the social. networks, instagram and twitter. Keep in close touch!
Also read |
Prologue
At the medical board I was asked in which troops I would like to serve. I replied that in the airborne troops, to which they told me that these troops are the best in Germany and it would be difficult to serve there, to which I replied that I was engaged in boxing and in general an athlete, and they answered me: - well then, of course! Two months later, I received a referral to the Third Tank Missile Anti-Aircraft Battery.
Start
With a backpack and a summons in a book, I was approaching my duty station by train. In the summons it was written that I had to appear by 6:00 pm at the station of the place where I would be doing military service, and they would pick me up and take me to the barracks. It was also worth that I needed a double change of linen and two locks to lock my locker.
Leaving the station at 17:00, I saw an army truck and peppers in uniform beside it. Having readily handed him my summons, I realized that fate was not as favorable to me as it seemed to me. He said that he was from the other side and that everyone had left my unit long ago ...
Yes ... - I said. - What should I do?
Wait still, maybe they will come again now.
After waiting until 18:00, I began to worry gradually ... The army is still not a primary school, you can't be late ... In general, I found a phone number and began calling the daytime. He told me that he was not in the know and that he could not connect me with someone who knew he also could not, but advised me to get to the barracks on my own. To the question "how can I get there?" he hung up. After interviewing the local natives, I came across an aunt who was on the way and she said that she would tell me which bus stop to get off at. So I finally got to the barracks. The gefwriters who stood at the clock at the entrance checked my summons and passport and treated me favorably, explained how and where to go.
Arriving at the building of the third battery, I saw with horror that my future fellow soldiers, already dressed in blue - the blue sports uniform of the Bundeswehr with a fascist eagle, were already running pantingly and stomping along the corridor back and forth, and a small such sergeant shouted loudly at them, about my shoulder about ... Angrily glancing at me, he shouted to the athletes: halt! tsuryuk! nohmal! Dust rose.
The clerk in uniform rudely asked me where I came from. I showed ingenuity said that from the station. He was surprised, but after thinking a little he said that he could not do anything for me, since I apparently got to the wrong place, since the battery is fully staffed and all the recruits have been on site since midday. After reading the contents of the agenda, he was even more surprised. Strange - he told me - it says here that you must come to us. I tactfully remained silent. The hmyr hung for a while, then he told me to wait and disappeared for a couple of minutes he reappeared, bringing with him another hmyr in uniform, with whom they began to talk about what a mess, why we don't know anything about him, and his They sent us, etc. Not deciding anything, they decided to continue their discussion in private, and they sent me to room number 168, assuring me that they would figure it out.
So began the nine-month history of my ordeals ... By the way, I wonder why exactly nine months? Is this an allegory? Like after that you become a human or are you reborn? I do not know. It was so that they sent me to the room, but they didn’t figure out where I came from and why I’m not listed in their papers, apparently they were tired of thinking, so when we went to the equipment the next day, everyone was called by surname until I stayed one. Then the bloody ones from the warehouse thought hard how could this be? That 52 people were supposed to receive uniforms, but for some reason 53 arrived ... In the end, of course, I received everything, but it lasted an hour longer than planned ...
The next day, during the morning roll call, the first army incident occurred. We stood in the corridor and shouted "here" to the non-commissioned officer, who was shouting the names, when a young man of our draft passed between the line and the non-commissioned officer, but in civilian clothes and with his hands in his pockets. Unther, who was temporarily speechless, nevertheless managed to cope with himself and loudly began to yell at him saying what it was, building something for you, hands out of his pockets, quickly change into uniform, two minutes, let's go !, and the valiant warrior answered proudly: "I don't want to be a soldier anymore." The Unther's jaw dropped. "What?" he asked almost sentimentally. “I just went to the captain's office and applied for a waiver military servicebecause I don’t like being a soldier, ”answered the now former soldier. “But this is just the second day of the service, you haven’t figured it out yet,” the sergeant stammered. "No" - the refusenik said firmly - "I will no longer be a soldier" and withdrew down the corridor. Twenty minutes later, he left the barracks with his belongings forever to take up alternative service in some hospital for the mentally ill or a nursing home.
The morale of the battery was shaken ... Unther was quietly sad.
It took about ten days of service. We got used to it. We met. There were six people in my room with me. One huge pumped-up good-natured simpleton, two frail whiners, one bespectacled man - an intellectual and a Pole, with whom we immediately found a common language. In the mornings, before breakfast, they went in for sports - went out into the corridor to do exercises - did push-ups with the non-commissioned officer, squatted, their favorite exercise was to press their backs against the wall, as if sitting on a chair, so that the knees were bent at right angles and stand like that with the whole platoon (the non-commissioned officer, of course, too) until, despite the menacing shouts of the sergeant, the first one falls to the floor. Out of habit, my legs, of course, got tired and shook, but the first one to fall was the same - a fat man with a downward face from the next room, who in the future would have the misfortune to get into my room and suffer severely from my Russian nature.
After charging - cleaning the room and the area entrusted to cleaning (our room had a corridor and a staircase), then breakfast, then either a theory where it was boring and long they talked about something and it was necessary to fight sleep, or practice - crawling or running across the field in a gas mask and without, automatic G3 - assembly and disassembly, etc. until ten in the evening with a break for lunch and dinner, then again cleaning and lights out.
The Germans suffered. “They can't when they are yelled at ... No personal life, at any moment they can order something to be done and you have to do it,” they complained. I laughed and said that these were all toys ... They sulked.
When we cleaned the machines once again - standing in the corridor with our backs to the wall, spreading out the details on the chair in front of each one, one of our whiners leaned back against the wall, not noticing the sergeant major walking along the corridor, and then it began. Just like in American cinema, I could hardly restrain my laughter. The sergeant major approached the soldier, brought his battle grin as close as possible to his sadly frightened face and began to yell, they say, the wall itself stands, it does not need to be propped up, where are you from, can you bring you a cocktail, but do not recoil without an order, myrrh! Oral must be said professionally. Loud and menacing, looming over the fighter until he rested the back of his head against the wall, after which he spoke freely and went on. The whiner had an animal horror written on his face, his hands and knees trembled, it seemed to me that he was now crying. But he sobbed only at night. I was awakened by sobs and agitated whispers. The Ghanaians, huddled around his bed, consoled him and asked what was the matter, he said that he could not stand such a thing that no one had ever treated him like that, that he wanted to go home or die. I was bursting, but out of philanthropy I restrained myself so as not to hurt the soul of an impressionable fighter with my hysterical giggles even more.
The next day there was a theory ... We were told the first law of the charter - kameradshavt. Like all comrades, they should respect each other, help, etc. Told interesting fact that everyone is responsible for public property rented to him, and that everyone should always keep their locker locked, even when in the room, and only open it when necessary. If, due to slovenliness, you forgot to lock the closet, then this is a crime in the army called "incitement to theft", and that if you get something, then it is not the one who stole, but the one who did not lock his locker seduced him to this case ...
At this time, the sergeant-major looked into our classroom, called the leutnant, who was revealing to us the amazing depths of the German charter, to himself and whispered something in his ear. The lieutenant exclaimed loudly: how? can not be! But looking again at the shy face of the sergeant major must have decided that he could, so he told us to sit and wait and hurriedly ran away. He came running in a couple of minutes, and there was no face on him, and he said that everything, full of alles, terrorists attacked the Pentagon and the center of world trade and so that we would quickly run to dinner, everything about everything for fifteen minutes, then again back and there we say what's next.
Quickly and excitedly, we tried to eat something in ten minutes, while panic and chaos reigned throughout the barracks. Crowds of soldiers ran back and forth across the courtyard and parade ground, someone was shouting something incessantly, and a dense cloud of croaking crows hovered over it all. There was despondency among the Germans ... That's it, war, ”one said sadly. (It was very picturesque that everyone was running and yelling, probably this is what happens when a war starts).
- I'm not going to fight! - said one.
- Yes, I have nothing else to do. - another.
- And me too ... If there is a war, then immediately on the train and home, I will take my parents to Greenland, there will be nothing. - said the third confidently
- Are you russian? - they asked me.
- And what am I, what will be ordered and I will do. - I answered honestly - although even if there is a war, we will not be sent anywhere.
But the valiant defenders of their Fatherland said that all this is garbage, they will not send it right afterwards, and in general they saw all this in the coffin and that they must immediately bring down.
Without devouring, we ran into the television room, where without stopping, accompanied by the simultaneous gasps of military personnel, we showed how the plane flies into a skyscraper. Clung. Confused, frightened faces around.
The non-commissioned officer yelled, saying that after 5 minutes the general battalion formation in the yard, uniform: takes and an overcoat. The lieutenant colonel, the battalion commander gave a fiery speech about world terrorism, which penetrates into civilian life and destroys thousands of civilian lives, and that this will not work, we must fight it. You see! - excitedly whispered around. The lieutenant colonel also told us that Chancellor Schroeder has already reacted and promised any possible assistance to American allies in the fight against terrorism in his televised message. A sigh sweeps through the rows.
After the speech, we were ordered to go back to the classroom and wait there. About 20 minutes later, when the poor soldiers were already languishing in ignorance of what would happen next, the lieutenant came and, as if nothing had happened, continued the lecture. They were still running outside the window, but not so fast, and they didn’t shout so loudly ... Later I thought that the officers were probably competing in efficiency, who would quickly gather their own and push their fiery speech.
The lecture went on for another two hours, the movements outside the window gradually stopped and nothing interfered with the peaceful appearance of an ordinary German barracks, which stood to protect world society from world terrorism and filled with soldiers ready for any losses in the name of peace and defense of the fatherland.
Within about a week, all the unrest subsided, everyone forgot about the terrorists, only the rank and file suffered from this unheard-of terrorist attack, because we had to carry sandbags, erecting a parapet with a height of one and a half meters near the checkpoint, and even doubled all posts, because the enemy does not sleep ... We suffered from this, since the watch was carried by the old 20 people, but all the posts were doubled, so that during the watch we managed to sleep half as much, three hours a night.
A Bundeswehr soldier must look neat. It is allowed to have hair, if it does not hang over the ears and collar, the bangs should not fall over the eyes. You can have a beard, but you can't walk with stubble, so if you come with a beard, you can keep it, or grow a beard while on vacation.
The Bundeswehr soldier must be disciplined and obey orders. They chew for a long time and tediously about the expediency of orders and about which orders the soldier must carry out, and which he has the right to refuse. Every now and then, discussions flare up between soldiers and non-commissioned officers about whether they should obey orders given or not; Poor Unthers scream and sweat, but there's little use. The soldiers know their rights. Every day they go to their ears, telling that a soldier is also an inviolable person in the first place and how to protect this person from bullying by their elders or non-existent hazing. In the corridor there is a box for anonymous complaints about the command staff or other personalities, the key to which is from the captain, the "chief" of the battery. You can also visit him at any time to chat about this and that.
The Unthers are not stupid either, they came up with a trick for making the soldiers do what they shouldn't do. A non-commissioned officer enters the corridor and yells that one volunteer is required from each room. In the form of an order. Then the volunteers are sent according to their needs - someone to a cafe for buns or hamburgers, someone to clean up their office premises ... Typically, there is usually no shortage of volunteers.
The first two months are training. Service until ten or eleven in the evening, wake up at five, exercise, cleaning, breakfast, then “formal service”. This is when you are being prepared for the oath. Drilling. You put on your greatcoat and beret, clean your boots, and, by order, run from the third floor to the building in front of the building. While you run up the stairs, some kind of freak steps on your cleaned boot. With the toe of this boot you viciously kick him in the shin, hissing curses, he apologizes, but there is nothing to do, you try to wipe the trail with your sleeve, you can see it anyway. At the formation of the non-commissioned officer, I carefully examine each recruit from head to foot, ask for permission to fix the beret or hood, and send them to clean the boots. It looks like this: you run to the third floor, unlock the cabinet, take out a brush and cream, lock the cabinet, run downstairs, clean your boots, run upstairs, lock the brush and cream, run downstairs to appear before the bright eyes of the sergeant. He meticulously examines the boots and, if necessary, sends again. Some ran three or four times. I once "ran" twice - ran into the building, around the corner, looked there for a minute at the stands with tanks on the walls, took out a brush from my pocket, ran out and cleaned my boots. Then he ran around the corner again, rested, hid the brush, ran out, presented the boots. But this was punishable. Once an equally clever person was caught and yelled at him for a long time ... After inspection, we march. Many have problems with turning left or right. Wild cries, stupid jokes when everyone turns to the left, and some kind of ram turns to the right and finds himself face to face with another. Unther happily runs up and asks the ram if he wants to kiss another. He laughs. We march for two or three hours, but there is a pause every half hour, since the discipline does not allow non-combatants to smoke when we march. And they want to smoke often. After a month of study, approximately the first time the end of the service hours is at six in the evening. You can go out into town and buy beer. Drinking in the room is strictly prohibited. Can be in the TV room or "free time room". Well, or in a bar on the territory of the barracks.
The Pole buys a bubble "Zubrovka" and we go to the room for a drink. Without a snack and under the cigarettes, it fits tightly, we are drunk from half a liter, and there are two fingers left at the bottom. At ten the lights are out, the Pole and I are arguing about the leftovers - he says to pour out and throw the bottle out of the window, I suggest to hide it in my locker and finish it later. All frightened me to persuade not to fool, they say storage is prohibited, you get caught and set us all up. I proudly send everyone away, saying that my religion does not allow me to pour out vodka. One wise guy respectfully asks "what is yours?"
I put the bottle in the pocket of my spare overcoat, lock the locker, and on the following days I drink a sip for the coming sleep. The Germans are shocked that I do this.
On Tuesdays we run a circle around the barracks - about six kilometers. A dull fanjunker - a future lieutenant, a circle running with us yells - "men, Russians behind us, give in!" (interestingly, all Russians associate the word skedaddle with?) He stumbles. After jogging, a warm-up, during which our Turk is a platoon jester and pukes smoothly vomiting under his feet at the expense of a fanjunker. He bent down once, vomited a little bit, straightened up by two, made two half-turns with his body, bent down once, vomited again. Fanjunker yells at him: “Get out of line! Vomit elsewhere! Get out into the bushes! " After the warm-up, he invites me to step aside and, looking into my face, says that he didn’t want to offend me with his cry about the Russians, and that he deeply regrets this, and asks for forgiveness. I forgive him generously.
On Friday, after breakfast, run three kilometers in athletic form. The oldest from our call is Momzen, he is 25 years old, and apparently he is a little out of his mind. On a run, he amazes and frightens people, while I and the Pole are delighted. The order was given to run, the time was recorded - a circle of 400 meters. Momzen runs the first lap, equals the non-players at the stopwatch and shouts as he runs: “I ...! Not....! I can...! Run ...! More!!!" In three words, Unther advises him to be silent and run on, and Momzen runs, and suddenly starts just crying. Right on the run, and it looks rather strange, like running, a drawn-out sob, then a drawn-out s-s-s-s-s-s, then again a sob and s-s-s-s-s-s. So the whole circle runs, sobbing loudly, and is equal again with the non-commissioned officer. While the non-commissioned officer stares at him in disbelief in his eyes and ears, he runs on. Unther awakens from lethargy and yells: "Momzen, don't run if you can't!" But Momsen stubbornly runs on. And sobs. Unther rushes in pursuit, catches up with him, runs alongside and shouts: "Momzen, stop!", And so they peacefully run side by side for half a circle, until the Unthru finally realizes that this can go on for a long time and with a soft gesture takes Momzen by the elbow and carries away it away from the treadmill and gently takes it indoors. For the rest of the day Momzen lies on a bunk in his room and does not speak to anyone. Compassionate Germans offer him a drink or talk, but he only shakes his head.
By the way, when Momzen first came to the barracks, he immediately told everyone that his son would not be born today tomorrow and kept busy about whether he would be given a couple of days off when this happened. Every week, when Momzen returned to the barracks, he was asked if he finally became a father, and every week he invariably answered that he had not yet, but this week for sure ... They mocked him, cackled and hooted when six months had passed, and he was like that. he said that the doctor said this week exactly and smiled like an idiot ... Then he got tired, but after 9 months of service, no one was born to him, and opinions were divided. Someone said that he was just down, people thought more mildly that some kind of tragedy must have played out for him, but we never found out the truth.
After jogging until midday, cleaning the room and the area entrusted to cleaning. Our territory - a corridor and a staircase - I took part in the cleaning only once in two months of training. The Hans swept and washed the floor twice every day, and complained that I was not helping ... Well, to clear my conscience, and more for the sake of appearance, once I pretended to wipe the dust from the railing. What kind of dust is there?
Every Friday the same bike, but the Germans from my room every time piously believe it and almost go to hysterics, go out of their way. The story is that there should be no debris or dust left in the room until twelve o'clock, and then we will be sent home on time. If there is dust somewhere, then woe to everyone, for they will force us to get out further and detain us for an hour longer. The problem is that no matter how hard you try, there will be dust. Anyway. And every time the same performance is played out - at about eleven o'clock, a check comes in, usually in the face of two NCOs, and they look for dust, which they find quite quickly. Professionals - on a plafond under the ceiling, or villi on a chair leg, between frames in a window, or on a windowsill outside, on door hinges, under a bin, on the soles of boots, and so on. They know a lot of such hiding places, and even if the long-suffering Germans remember them all and wipe everything thoroughly, the non-comrades can easily find more. Then follows the well-played resentment of the NCOs. They are simply shocked that we have a pigsty and they yell for two minutes and are outraged that because of us now the whole battery is delayed for another hour.
Among the Germans there is panic bordering on despair. They blame each other, but mostly me, because I do not show much enthusiasm for cleaning, that now we, and because of us, the whole battery, will miss the train. I say that they say the same thing in every room, and they will let us go as usual, regardless of whether the dust is found or not, but they don’t believe me ... The play is repeated once more. The Germans almost cry. And finally, at exactly twelve o'clock, the check is again, the non-comrades say with approval, "I wish it would be so!" and after a couple of minutes they yell that the service is over.
Everyone happily changes into civilian clothes and rushes to the bus stop. To my "well, what did I say?" nobody pays attention.
The next Friday, everything is repeated again. Unless the episode with Momzen is unique, because he is exempt from jogging.
The food here is bad. By German standards.
Breakfast and dinner consists of bread, rolls and several types of cheese and cold cuts. Well, vegetables such as tomatoes - sliced \u200b\u200bcucumbers and a lot of fruits: apples, pears, bananas, sometimes watermelons and melons. Every Thursday, a hot dinner - either fried potatoes and onions, or a slice of pizza, or baked Hawaiian toast with ham, pineapple washer and cheese. For lunch, a standard set - a piece of meat with diluted sauce, boiled potatoes and some kind of boiled or stewed vegetables. Well, sometimes there is, of course, pasta or rice ... Every Wednesday, soup day - they give a thick aintopf with sausage, usually salted.
But this is in the barracks. In the field, they feed differently. Bivouac is such a beautiful, Yesenin word. In the fourth week we go to the woods to "fight". On Monday night, a huge pumped-up simpleton wakes us up from our room and excitedly whispers that something is wrong, that there will probably be an alarm, because the light in the corridor is not lit, as usual, and it is dark and there are small candles in the corners. People start to worry and panic. I am indignant, I say so as not to interfere with sleep, that if there is an alarm, then we will not let it through, so that we shut up. Kachok says that he will not sleep anymore, but will wait ... I tell him to wait in silence and not rustle and fall asleep again.
An unbearable howl hits my ears. Siren. I jump up sleepily on the bed, I don't understand anything. The jock turns on the light and rushes about the room. Nobody knows what to do, since we had never heard of alarm before, much less how to behave. Someone yells: "ABC-Alarm !!!" (atomic-biological-chemical alarm) and we all, as one, grab the gas masks - fortunately, they are on the cabinet from the edge - and put them on. At this time, the door swings open with a bang and with a cry "Alarm, everyone is building!" a non-commissioned officer flies in. At first, he still yells that we have turned on the light in vain, but falls silent in mid-sentence, because he sees five idiots in shorts and gas masks and one in uniform but also in a gas mask (this cowardly jock put on a uniform, made the bed and sat waiting while everyone else slept) ... Unther tries to make a formidable face, but it is clear that he is bursting with laughter. Building! He yells and flies out. Another flies in and yells: “Construction! Turn off the lights! Anxiety! ”, But he also notices the comicality of the situation and begins to laugh openly, though shyly covering his non-officer's face with his palm. Runs out. We are still in a stupor, we are in gas masks and cannot move. Then the staff officer Schroeder, the deputy platoon commander, runs in, completely devoid of humor and imagination and begins to scream loudly and viciously that this is a mess, why did we put on gas masks when it’s not an abc alarm, but a military alarm, quickly take off gas masks, put on a uniform, soon construction. And without light the main thing! Slams the door.
Only then I understand what the matter is and begin to laugh, rip off the gas mask, feverishly pull on my pants and boots. An order is given to form, I put on a gymnast on the run. A motley crowd stands in the corridor. Some are in trousers and slippers, others in uniform but barefoot, there is even one specialist in a tunic and boots but without trousers. Schroeder walks gloomily in front of the line. "I have never seen such a shame!" he goes broke. “Not soldiers, but a crowd of peasants! Quickly go through the rooms, put on the uniform, as expected, take paper and pencil! Whoever turns on the light will regret it! One minute, let's go! " he shouts with genuine malice.
In a minute, everyone is dressed in uniform, standing. Schroeder yells that now he will read out the disposition, only once, write down silently to everyone, then he will personally check each one. The disposition is such that country X, bordering our country Y, is pulling troops to the common border on the river Z, possibly a border violation, our battery is ordered to take a position on the right bank of the river Z and is preparing for defense. Try to write something while standing in formation on a piece of paper in pencil. I don't even try, I rely on memory. I'll write it down later.
Schroeder orders to disperse to the rooms, the order is immediately distributed "get ready to form in front of the armory", a pause, "line up in front of the armory!" Stomp on the stairs. Our armory is one floor higher. We build in front of her, go in turn, say the number of the machine, get it, give the card with the same number, it is hung on the place where the machine was. For accounting purposes. When you return the machine, you get the card back. My 64-year-old assault rifle, well-worn. At the shooting range, where we were taken before, there was such a problem: in order to determine the aiming point (not a single machine gun shoots as it should, but a little to the side, at least with us), from a hundred meters, you shoot three bullets at a large, one and a half to one and a half meter target, aiming at the top ten. If all the bullets have lain more or less heap, for example, on the seven to the left of the ten, then the aiming point (where you are aiming to get into the ten) is, respectively, on the seven to the right. I fired all three bullets, aiming at the bull's-eye, but no holes were found on the target. They asked me where I was aiming, I replied that ten, as it should be. Unther grinned, ordered to fire three more times. I fired with the same result. Unther, on whose face it was clearly written that he was thinking about me, with an air of superiority took the machine gun, and casually firing three shots, said, "Now let's go show this point." When we got to the target, it was time for me to grin. There was not a single hole on the target. Unther scratched his pear-shaped head. In the end, this point was found - you had to aim at the ground below the lower right corner of the target in order to hit it at all.
After we received the machine guns, we were ordered to disperse to the rooms and wait for the order. I had to wait a long time. The alarm was at four in the morning, at about half past five we went to the rooms with machine guns, put on combat equipment (two pouches with clips, a shovel, a bag with a gas mask, a rubber cape and rubberized mittens, a bag with a bowler hat, a flask - on the belt and a backpack with spare things and a sleeping bag strapped to it) and sat down to wait. We made a sortie into the corridor - to smoke. Everything is quiet. Dawn gradually dawned. At six in the morning there was an order to line up, we were ordered to go to the canteen to have breakfast, loaded up like this, and went, pushed, crowded, clung to each other, to tables, chairs and other household items with rifle barrels and backpacks. After breakfast, we sat for another half an hour and then there was an order to be built in front of the building, at last they served such a colorful green ikarus. We were lucky.
Each soldier has half a tent. You choose a partner for yourself from your squad, build this structure with him and rejoice. You are happy, because one is left extra and he has only half the tent. When asked what to do, he is reasonably noticed - bet half! He set half of the poor guy, but as luck would have it in the evening, the nasty northern rain began to drizzle, and so it went on for the next four days, which we stuck out there and, accordingly, he could not sleep, it was too wet, so he was not assigned to play soldiers (lie in a puddle at night ambush for two hours, bypass positions with weapons at the ready, and so on), and put him to the fire, which he had to watch. All day long. So he sat there, near the fire, and he was a very, very harmful and bad person, so everyone spat on the cameraman and no one offered him his tent. On the third night, he fell asleep and fell into the fire and probably would have burned himself terribly if the next shift on the clock had not passed by, which promptly pulled him out, he only burned his eyebrows, eyelashes and the peak of his cap.
Coming to combat weekdays - four days. During the day, we learned to disguise ourselves with grass and branches broken by the wind - you can't rip off the tree, smeared our muzzles with black paint, crawled, ran, jumped, fired blanks, took off gas masks and a rubber poncho - dressed, trained to take prisoner and disarm suspicious individuals (who were mostly played me or a Pole - you go with a pistol in your bosom, a patrol is going to meet you, yelling “stop, hands up”, and you yelling “yes, you all go there and there,” in Russian, of course. The patrol is taken aback and stands with his mouth open at this time, you curse them, their commander, the entire German army and in general everything that you see. Then one of them aims at you with a machine gun (as if, in general, it is impossible to aim at people, so he only pretends to aim at you, and himself aims at ground) and the other comes up, searches, takes the pistol and they take you away. I was categorically forbidden to resist, and the scenario was always the same), well, they just rummaged around the neighborhood with weapons at the ready and when the non-commissioned officer, the squad leader then it occurred to him, he gave a special sign, everyone hid in the bushes or behind a tree and drove the muzzle of a machine gun here and there - they say the enemy is not asleep. They simulated a fight once. At first we sat in the forest, and another squad ran across the clearing at us, we fired blanks and drove them away, then vice versa. And at night there were two tasks, or two hours of patrol - you go around the bivouac in a circle - together, and the NCOs sometimes simulated an attack and it was necessary to react correctly - to raise the alarm with shots and everyone woke up, grabbed a weapon and ran who where, firing blanks, and shoot without plugs it was forbidden in the ears - damage to state property, which is a soldier, therefore we went to the patrol with our ears plugged (they gave out special plugs), and there were three stations where you had to stop, pull the plugs out of your ears, and listen if the enemy was sneaking. Then plug your ears again and further. Another task - just an ambush - you lie and look in the direction of the alleged enemy, if you see him, then you raise the alarm with shots.
Not far from the clearing with tents were two red plastic transportable toilets, which had to go with cover. In general, two soldiers creep in - to the sorting, then one throws off his machine gun and a belt with equipment, and the other sits on his haunches and vigilantly looks around, guarding the peace of the first.
The food was also very romantic. There was an order to find a long strong stick, make cuts on it according to the number of soldiers in the squad, and hang bowlers wrapped in scarves on the stick so that they do not rattle. A truck arrived with food and movement began: two soldiers from the squad, with bowlers on a stick, crept to a car that was parked in the middle of the field. Nearby, at least two crept with machine guns at the ready, covered those with a stick. They approached the car, got food, sneaked back and ate, then sat by a big fire and smoked.
Every day we lost about two or three people from the platoon sick. They were taken to the barracks.
On the third day of the bivouac, on Wednesday we were loaded onto a bus and taken to the barracks to wash, but what about three days without a shower? At the same time, we grabbed a second pair of boots there, because the first did not dry out due to the rain. By the way, romance also reigned in the barracks - those of the patients who were not very sick (there is a concept of internal service, this is when you serve inside, in the room, and you don't have to go outside), put up tents in the corridor, stretching them out like on electrical tape and they slept in them, they brought them heaps of grass from the street so that they could disguise themselves, they smeared their faces in black and also patrolled the corridor at night, where the insidious sergeant was sometimes waiting for them, or lay on the clock near the room with weapons. Only now they were not allowed to shoot in the corridor, so they only pretended to shoot. Also, two of them with pots on a mop handle went to the cafeteria and brought the others to eat. In general, equality. Everyone has to go through a bivouac during training, and everyone went through it, just some in the building.
When we went to the shower and changed into clean clothes (each had three sets of uniforms), we were taken back to the forest and we continued our arduous field service. If it weren't for the lingering September rain, always wet clothes, sleeping bags and legs, it would be great.
On Thursday, we had a small party - they brought pickled stacks and sausages, and from eight o'clock in the evening there was a grill - each with a stack of two sausages and two small cans of Faxe beer. Those who did not want beer could get respectively two cans of cola or forfeits. Then to sleep, at five in the morning on Friday, the last combat alert - the non-comrades ran, yelled, fired and threw foam firecrackers in the form of grenades, we shot back and fought off the reptiles.
And then they dismantled the tents, packed up their things and march to the barracks - eleven kilometers in full combat uniforms and with a machine gun on their shoulder - and the bivouac behind.
After the march - bloody calluses. Boots - new, made of good leather, hard and unfamiliar, they wash their feet in blood. A huge bubble appears, immediately bursts, then a new one, on the next layer of skin, also bursts, then the skin ends and then the heel itself is erased. But nothing, eleven kilometers is nonsense, and almost everyone gets there. Those who say they can no longer receive an order to stop and wait for a truck that runs along the road. They are not yelled at, but hinted that they are weak. I tolerate. Can't be a Russian weakling.
When I finally take off my boots in the barracks with relief, both toes are covered in brown blood above the heel and to about the middle of the foot. Gently peel them off the body - it looks bad, but better than I thought. The Germans stare at me, asking why I didn't go by the truck. I chuckle proudly, they chuckle shaking their heads. After cleaning and cleaning the uniform, the end of the service. Limping cautiously in my sneakers, I walk to the bus stop.
On Monday, many go to the medical unit - they show the corns, they are washed, they give out special "corn plasters" and give an exemption from boots. Specialists with such exemption go either in slippers or in sneakers. They laugh at them - after all, the vidocq is still the same - in uniform and in slippers. On drills on the parade ground, where we are being prepared for the upcoming oath, screams filled with pain are heard every now and then. They don't know how to march, they stomp like a flock of sheep, step on their heels, and those who are in slippers have a hard time. The boots do alleviate the pain a little, but not much pleasant. The Turk walking behind me is one of those. After he kicked me in the heel a second time, I turn to him and say: "keep your distance!" After the third time, I turn and push him in the chest, hissing viciously: "If you step again, you will get hit in the face right here!" He is obscured, from the expression on his face you can see that he does not doubt my words. The sergeant shouts at me. The Turk is one step behind, breaks the line, yells at him, but I am more terrible for him than a non-commissioned officer. So, under the screams and lectures, he goes half a step further from me than it should be and with longing looks into the eyes of the non-commissioned officer yelling at him.
Before the oath - the so-called recruitment exam. We are again woken up at four in the morning, but this time our fussy and suspicious jock sets the alarm at a quarter to four, goes out into the corridor, sees that the light is off and there are candles in the corners and wakes us up. After that, he takes out the same candles stored in advance from his cabinet, lights them, places them on the table so that there is enough light and we dress neatly, make the beds and sit down at the table. When the siren begins to blare, the door swings open, a non-commissioned officer runs in and opens his mouth to shout "siren, to the formation", slams it again, shakes his head and goes out again. Another runs in, yells that there is a mess, takes all the candles and leaves. We sit in the dark until the order is given to form. Again, the same disposition, only
Air Force of the Federal Republic of Germany
The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) includes Operational Command and Central Command (both located in Cologne). The Operational Command has three air divisions (1st, 2nd, 4th).- 1st air division includes: 32nd fighter-bomber and 74th fighter squadron, 5th anti-aircraft missile squadron, 1st group of special transportations, 61st and 62nd transport squadrons, 1st command and control regiment , tactical training command in Italy;
2nd Aviation Division includes: 31st and 33rd fighter-bomber and 73rd fighter squadrons, 2nd anti-aircraft missile squadron, 3rd control and communications regiment;
The 4th Aviation Division includes: 71st Fighter, 51st Reconnaissance, 63rd Transport Squadron, 1st Air Defense Squadron, 2nd and 4th Command and Control Regiments, and a separate "Friesland" regiment to protect Air Force facilities.
The German Air Force does not have its own training units. Cadets are trained in the United States at an American technical base.
Fighter-bomber Typhoon FRG Air Force (Jagdgeschwader 74)
The main striking force of the Luftwaffe is the Typhoon fighter-bombers. Initially, in 1986 it was planned to have 250 of them, but later the plans were cut several times. Thus, to date, the Air Force has received only 97 vehicles (including 24 combat training) of this type.
Fighter-bomber Tornado IDS German Air Force
In addition, 144 Tornado bombers, upgraded to the ASSTA 2.0 standard, are on strike. It is assumed that this will allow the upgraded machines to stand in service until 2025. However, it was also assumed that all of them were to be replaced by Typhoons, but they were not bought even to the extent of the needs of fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons.
McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II German Air Force
So, 40 ancient F-4F Phantom-2 fighter-bombers have not yet been removed from the Luftwaffe's armaments. Another 9 Tornadoes and 3 Phantoms are in a warehouse in Germany itself, and 1 and 15, respectively, are additionally stored at the Davis-Montan airbase in the USA. In the future, until 2020, all F-4Fs are supposed to be written off, and the number of Tornadoes, including those in storage, will be reduced to 85 units. Thus, in the near future, the FRG strike aircraft will comprise approximately 180-200 aircraft.
Military transport aircraft Transall C-160 of the German Air Force
Transport aviation in Germany has 2 A-319, 2 A-340, 6 A-310 (including 4 air tankers), 73 C-160. Experts admit that the current capabilities of transport aviation are unequivocally insufficient for solving the tasks it faces. She is not able to ensure the landing of even one airborne brigade and ensure its supply for at least 30 days of active hostilities.
SAM Patriot of the German Air Force
Ground air defense includes 18 batteries of the Patriot air defense missile system (eight launchers in each, four missiles per launcher).
German navy
The German Navy (Bundesmarine) today is a perfectly balanced and technically advanced, but very budgetary and purely local fleet of about 50 pennants. The country's military doctrine for the fleet does not provide for any serious tasks, except for the defense of the coast and providing assistance to the allies in multinational forces. It is assumed that only the USA and, perhaps, Great Britain will seriously fight at sea. Budnesmarine's business is to assist in the exploration and control of the Baltic Sea. Maybe a couple of frigates to accompany the convoys.However, it should be noted that Germany at the same time retained a powerful and advanced shipbuilding industry, which continues to produce some of the world's best naval weapons. For example, German non-nuclear submarines (now there are no more diesels in the submarine fleet, all submarines are either nuclear or have atmospheric independent power plants, for example, on fuel cells) of the Type 209 project were purchased by the navies of India, Greece, Turkey, South Korea, Venezuela ... In total - by 14 countries of the world. In the past 14 years alone, Germany has built and successfully sold 12 Type 212 and Type 214 non-nuclear submarines. Despite the relatively high cost (for example, the price of one Type 214 submarine is $ 330 million "in the basic configuration"), Germany dismantles them like hot pies.
Submarine Project 212
However, Germany's own fleet consists of only 4 Type 212 submarines. 2 more boats are under construction. Plus 13 frigates of different types: 6 old, type "Bremen"; 4 very modern, such as "Brandenburg"; 3 newest, type "Sachsen". On January 29, 2015, the 4th Sachsen-class frigate Project F125 - Rhineland-Palatinate was laid down in Germany. Reportedly, later, after the sale for scrap of two Bremen frigates of earlier years of construction, already withdrawn from the state, the ships of this type in service will also be excluded from the lists of the fleet.
3D-model of the frigate of the project F125
What is worth paying attention to. In fact, a frigate of the F125 project is not quite a frigate. With a displacement of 7,200 tons, this is more of a normal destroyer. However, in terms of armament, it looks more like an empty platform for naval weapons that may appear in the future. For a ship of this size, one 127-mm universal cannon, two helicopters, a pair of RIM-116 blocks and 27-mm close-range assault rifles are nothing at all. The situation is not much changed by the presence of regular 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Most likely, the main armament will appear later, but its composition is still completely unknown.
But they probably have something in mind. For literally ten years ago, the Germans built three excellent frigates (project F124 Sachsen, Saxony), whose capabilities allow them to be included in the naval missile defense system. The powerful Thales SMART-L radar for tracking targets in low-Earth orbits, and 32 silos for interceptor missiles and conventional anti-aircraft missiles. All this and much more (for example, the multifunctional APAR radar with four active HEADLIGHTS) fit into the hull with a total displacement of “only” 5800 tons.
Frigate project F124 Sachsen, Saxony
In addition to frigates, the Bundesmarines have 5 corvettes of the Braunschweig type, 8 missile boats of the Gepard type (there are 2 more Cheetahs and 2 older Albatrosses in storage) and 20 minesweepers (10 Project 332, 5 Project 333, 5 Project 352).
Obsolete Bremen-class frigate
Naval aviation includes eight R-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft, three Do-228 patrol aircraft, 43 helicopters (21 Sea King, 22 Super Links).
A fly in the ointment
Now it's worth looking at what of all of the above can be put on the battlefield "if something happens." As it turns out, there are not so many snakes. Realizing the impossibility of keeping her entire army in an equally high degree of readiness, Germany divided it into three levels according to the terms of readiness and, in general, the purpose.The most combat-ready units are formally part of NATO's "Very High Readiness Joint Task Force" or VJTF. Their total number is planned in the amount of 30 thousand people. Including at the expense of the forces of the 26th airborne brigade of the Bundeswehr. So it turns out that, together with the forces already involved in international operations, the total number of "most combat-ready" units is approximately 8.5 thousand people. Of which about 5 thousand soldiers and officers are stationed directly in Germany.
Airborne Bundeswehr
The next category is those that are classified as Operational. They include the 1st tank and airmobile divisions, as well as the German part of the joint Franco-German brigade (two battalions). It is officially stated that the level of staffing of the listed units in peacetime is 75% of the state. The specified parts can be brought to full readiness 40-50 days after the receipt of the corresponding order. The current number of operational units is up to 8-10 thousand people.
Bundeswehr teachings
Everything else is grouped under the Joint Support Force. In fact, the Germans are creating an old, still Soviet, system of framed units. For example, the 10th Panzer Division, which is included here, is such only in name. In addition to two brigades, deployed 45-50% of the staff, and the headquarters base, which is also incomplete, there are no other divisional units and subunits in the division. More precisely, their property is stored in warehouses, and the personnel will be formed from reservists called up to mobilize. Units of the Joint Support Forces can be brought to full readiness not earlier than 180-200 days in advance. Here the first important question arises - will the Operational Engagement units be able to hold the front for these 6 - 7 months?
And the most important thing. In September 2014, the Bundestag Defense Committee held a closed meeting. The Bundeswehr command presented a report on the current state of the material and technical base of the FRG army. As the Chief Inspector Volker Wicker later reported, the parliamentarians were presented with a register of military equipment in service with the FRG. An idle three-color scheme was used. By analogy with a traffic light. It turned out that, for example, "Boxer" armored personnel carriers are marked in red. Of the 180 available, only 70 are on the move. The remaining 110 are under repair. varying degrees difficulties. Moreover, there are not enough spare parts for it. Almost everywhere, the standard deadlines for the work are hopelessly exceeded. The situation is no better in the army aviation. For example, out of 31 Tiger helicopters, only 10 are suitable for flight, and only 8 out of 33 NH90 helicopters.
Helicopter NH-90
Apart from purely technical ones, the lack of funding and the lack of necessary spare parts are already negatively affecting the educational process. In 2014, due to a shortage of infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, German fighters from the Franco-German brigade had to train in Mercedes Vito minibuses. In the same year, the Bundeswehr's KSK unit was forced to refuse to participate in the annual participation of the NATO rapid deployment forces, since of the 9 helicopters they had, ready to take off at any moment, 8 were out of order before the exercises, and the latter had only three hours of flight time before the mandatory routine technical inspection. In 2013, the Luftwaffe pilots managed to fly only 2/3 of the required flight hours. The continuation of this trend is fraught with a decrease in the level of flight practice below the permissible level by NATO standards. In the fall of 2014, over 150 soldiers and officers of the Air Force were forced to send a plane from the fleet of the German Chancellor to Mazar-i-Sharif, as the regular military transport Airbus 310 was out of order. In the second half of last year, two of the three German Transall military transport planes involved in the arms delivery operation to Erbi broke down. Berlin had to urgently rent a transport plane from the Netherlands Air Force. With which, by the way, there were also problems during the flight.
But the funniest thing was revealed after one battery of the Patriot air defense missile system was redeployed to Turkey to be on duty within the NATO air defense forces on the southern flank. In order to maintain its constant combat readiness, the German Air Force was forced to remove some units and blocks from missiles located in Germany itself.
For good reason, these problems can be successfully solved. However, this requires an expansion of the military budget. NATO standards provide for spending at least 2% of national GDP on defense. Berlin now spends only 1.3%, but instead of expanding defense spending, the Bundestag continues to cut them. In 2013, the country's military budget was reduced by 400 million euros, to 32.8 billion.In 2014 it was cut by another 700 million.In the future, until 2017, Germany's military spending is going to be reduced to 1.1 - 1.05% of GDP ...
Conclusion
At the moment, it turns out that the Bundeswehr is not able to independently solve any large-scale military tasks. Allocate one, even two brigades to the composition of some multinational forces - maybe. It is capable of deploying an excellent rear base for repair and supply. But even then only in conditions of low-intensity conflict. This is when the enemy is either weaker or severely limited in military-technical capabilities. Including - with an obligatory guarantee of the inviolability of their own rear of these multinational forces. Thus, no parts of the Bundeswehr will move anywhere "east". For there is simply no one, nothing ... and there are practically no people willing to fight in the Bundeswehr either.To disaccustom the Germans to fight - such a task was set after the end of World War II by the victorious powers. This plan was successfully implemented: the main target of German activity was economic development... As a result, Germany's economy is today the most successful in Europe. But the medal has another side - when the fight against new international challenges required the involvement of the Bundeswehr, it turned out that the FRG army was not able to successfully conduct hostilities, its military equipment was in a deplorable state, and the government did not want to spend money on rectifying the situation.
At the very end of September, the Ministry of Defense of the FRG was very embarrassed. For one and a half hundred soldiers and officers who were waiting in the Afghan Mazar-e-Sharif to be sent home, they had to send a plane from the government's fleet. The fact is that the military transport Airbus 310, on which the German fighters were supposed to return home, turned out to be faulty.
The state of emergency in Afghanistan has become yet another confirmation that the Bundeswehr is in a rather deplorable state. In NATO, behind the eyes, the German army is rightly called "disarmed forces." Ironically, the plane crashed just days before the publication of a report on the state of affairs in the German armed forces prepared for the Bundestag by independent auditors from KPMG, P3 and Taylor Wessing.
The report caused a slight shock in the Bundestag. The deputies have no doubts about the impartiality of its authors. In addition, just a few days before the publication of this document, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen publicly admitted that the country's military equipment is far from being in the best shape. True, according to her, this does not prevent the Bundeswehr (currently participating in 17 foreign operations) to fulfill its combat duty with honor.
The problematic "old lady"
The problems of the German armed forces, especially in terms of logistics, were clearly manifested this fall, when the supply of weapons began to the Kurds fighting the militants of the "Islamic State". Frau von der Leyen ordered to prepare two of the three Transall military transport aircraft available to the Bundeswehr for the transfer of cargo to this hot spot. And the minister herself with a large group of German journalists on the last day of September went to the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Erbil, in order to hand over the first batch of bazookas and machine guns to the Kurds. Alas, the high-profile PR campaign failed. The weapons were stuck for several days in Germany due to a plane breakdown, and the German instructors who were supposed to train the Peshmerga fighters were in Bulgaria. For the delivery of weapons, a military transport plane was borrowed from Holland. But he broke down too.
A similar story happened with medicines and tents for doctors fighting the Ebola epidemics in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The Transall delivering them made an emergency landing in one of the Canary Islands.
Of course, it is not only Transall that breaks down, but this very aircraft, developed in the first half of the 60s of the last century and referred to in Germany itself as an "old lady", has become a symbol of the problems of the German military.
Ambitious minister
Critics of 56-year-old von der Leyen ridicule her for her arrogance and criticize her for overestimating the capabilities of the defense department, offering allies assistance in operations in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa. The first German minister of defense in a skirt, a mother of seven children and a doctor by specialty were nicknamed at home "the minister of war" for the desire to turn the FRG into a leading military power in Europe. She is even accused of cunning: on the one hand, she sounds the alarm because of the state of the Bundeswehr, and on the other, she assures the deputies that not everything is so bad and that the army is capable of fighting. This inconsistency so angered SPD defense expert Rainer Arnold that he advised von der Lein not to portray Bundestag members as idiots.
The rather unexpected appointment of Ursula von der Leyen as head of the defense department at the end of last year sparked heated debate. In the first government of Merkel, she was the minister of family affairs, in the second - labor and social affairs. The fact that after that she was entrusted with the leadership of the army, gave reason to speak of her as the most likely successor to Merkel as leader of the Christian Democrats.
However, it cannot be ruled out that Merkel prepared a trap for a popular competitor by appointing her to such a responsible position. In this regard, I recall another promising star of German politics - the ambitious and charismatic Karl-Theodor zu Gutenberg. He was also predicted to be Merkel's successor, but he was forced to resign after a loud scandal with plagiarism in his dissertation. The "life expectancy" of the FRG defense ministers is short. Over the past 65 years, Germany has had 8 chancellors and 17 defense ministers. Only one of them - Helmut Schmidt later headed the government.
The current defense minister and chancellor have different approaches to security issues. Angela Merkel adheres to the so-called "military reserve" policy, which implies the minimum participation of the Bundeswehr in all NATO initiatives. The most illustrative example of this approach is the vote in the UN Security Council on the introduction of a no-fly zone over Libya in 2011, during which Germany abstained.
Von der Leyen, on the other hand, is not averse to flexing his muscles and dreams of turning the Bundeswehr into an offensive army. At a security conference held in January this year in Munich, she said that "indifference cannot be a choice for a country like Germany."
Green light
At the end of September, Frau von der Leyen held a five-hour meeting with the commanders of the military branches. Discussed were the hearings in the parliamentary committee on defense, held after the publication in one of the August issues of Spiegel magazine a long article on the problems of the German armed forces. The experts provided the members of the parliamentary committee with a report on 22 major weapons systems of the Bundeswehr.
It turned out that the state of military equipment is much worse than anyone could have imagined. For example, out of four U212 submarines, only one is on the move, and of 180 Boxer armored personnel carriers, almost half (70 vehicles) cannot even move. Of the 11 frigates, only seven are capable of going to sea, and of the 406 Marder BMPs, only 280 are more or less on the move.
The Air Force is also doing badly. In Germany, the readiness of equipment for combat is assessed in descending order of three colors: green, yellow and red. According to the commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Karl Müllner, despite the green color opposite a number of aircraft, aviation is working at the limit of its capabilities and hardly fulfilling its current tasks. Only 42 of 109 Eurofighters, which mostly have fuselage problems, can take off, and 38 of 89 Tornado.
Photo: Julian Stratenschulte / Reuters
It's no better with helicopters. So, out of 33 machines of the NH90 type only two are capable of taking off. Only four of 22 Sealynx naval helicopters and three of 21 Seakings are ready for combat missions. And only 7 out of 16 CH53 helicopters are in working order (and even then not 100 percent)
The Bundeswehr has problems not only with old military equipment, but also with new ones. For example, the German Air Force has long waited for the Airbus A400M transport aircraft to replace the Transall. The first airbuses may arrive this year, but the Bundeswehr still does not have a contract for their maintenance, and a sufficient number of mechanics have not been trained. It is likely that after the very first flights, the Airbus A400M will be stuck on the ground for a long time.
The situation around the German Patriot air defense missile system stationed in Turkey (where it was delivered via NATO) is also indicative. In order to keep the missiles on alert, parts have to be removed from missiles located on the territory of Germany itself. Such a shortage of spare parts in the Bundeswehr.
Not just wear and tear
The deterioration of military equipment is perhaps one of the main, but far from the only reason for the low combat capability of the Bundeswehr.
Three years ago, Germany abandoned the general conscription and is now experiencing serious problems with its personnel. Previously, 60 thousand young Germans were put under arms every year. Finding a replacement volunteer proved to be a daunting task.
To these troubles, of course, is added the problem of financing. This year, the government has cut the budget of the Ministry of Defense by 400 million euros (to 32.8 billion euros), and next year is going to cut another 700 million. Germany now spends 1.29 percent of GDP on defense, although NATO member states must spend at least two percent on it. According to this indicator, Germany is 14th out of 28 places in the alliance.
However, the government is confident that underfunding should not be blamed for everything. Justifying this idea, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble recalled that last year the German military failed to absorb almost half a billion euros.
In general, it seems that it is not worth counting on government assistance for the German military, at least in the near future. This means that the German armed forces will remain “disarmed” for more than one year.