Bundeswehr Restructuring

[kato]

Following the suspension of conscription, the step-down of the last defense minister and a budget cut of about 3% for the timeframe 2013-2017, the Bundeswehr is currently restructuring to an all-volunteer army with certain capabilities reduced and others enlarged. While there are cuts involved, they are nowhere near as serious as e.g. in the UK. The attempt is to cut down the Bundeswehr while restructuring it into an outfit that can yield more troops for deployments than the currently available 7,000 to 10,000 men.

Plans for the restructuring already started under the last defense minister, but have been seriously overhauled when he was virtually kicked out of office.

I'm gonna portray the planned structure in the next couple posts, split apart for readability.

[kato]

Planned future structure for the Army:

Note: Units marked with a * are cadred units filled with reservists.

Division North
(formed from 1st Armored and parts of 13th Mechanized)

• Divisional Assets: Artillery Battalion, Heavy Engineer Battalion*, Support Battalion*
• Brigade: 1 Tank Btl, 2 Mech Btl, 1 Light Inf Btl, 1 Recon Btl, 1 Eng Btl, 1 Supply Btl
• Brigade: 1 Tank Btl, 1 Mech Btl, 1 Light Inf Btl, 1 Recon Btl, 1 Eng Btl, 1 Supply Btl
• Brigade: 1 Tank Btl*, 2 Mech Btl, 1 Light Inf Btl, 1 Recon Btl, 1 Eng Btl, 1 Supply Btl

Division South
(formed from 10th Armored and parts of 13th Mechanized)

• Divisional Assets: Artillery Battalion, Artillery Battalion*, Support Battalion*
• Brigade: 1 Tank Btl*, 3 Mountain Inf Btl, 1 Recon Btl, 1 Eng Btl, 1 Supply Btl
• Brigade: 1 Tank Btl, 2 Mech Btl, 1 Recon Btl, 1 Eng Btl, 1 Supply Btl
• Brigade: 1 Tank Btl, 2 Mech Btl, 1 Recon Btl, 1 Eng Btl, 1 Supply Btl

Rapid Forces Division
(formed by merging Airborne Division and Airmobile Division)

• Helo Wings: 1 Attack Helo Rgt (Tiger), 2 Transport Rgt (NH90)
• Brigade: Special Forces (KSK)
• Brigade: 2 Paratrooper Rgt

Franco-German Brigade
(remains independent)

• German components: 2 Light Inf Btl, 1 Artillery Btl, 1 Supply Btl

Training Command
(divisional level)

• Schools: Officer School (OSH), NCO School (USH)
• Special Training Centers: UN Peacekeeping, Combat Simulation, Combat Training, Special Forces
• General Training Centers: 2 officer training centers/btl, 3 NCO training centers/btl

Multinational Corps Components
(as current)

• Eurocorps : Staff Component, Supply Btl
• 1 GE/NL Corps : Staff Component, Supply Btl
• MNC Northeast : Staff Component, Supply Btl

Planned ToE for the Army:

• Tanks: 225 Leopard 2 (plus reserve for cadred battalions)
• Heavy Armored: 350 Puma (introduction starting 2013)
• Medium Armored: 272 Boxer (being introduced), ca 565 Fuchs (retained)
• Light Armored: 212 Fennek
• Artillery: 81 PzH 2000 (plus reserve), 38 MARS
• Helicopters: 80 NH90, 40 Tiger

[kato]

Planned future structure for the Air Force:

Air Operations Command
(Corps-level)

• NFS JFAC HQ
• German Component: EATC
• German Component: NATO AWACS
• German Component: NATO AGS
• German Component: NATO/EU Staff (Joint Air Command)

Combat Forces Command
(Corps-level)

• Air Combat: 3 Multirole Wing, 1 Strike/SEAD Wing, 1 Recce Wing
• Transport: 1 Transport Wing, 1 Helo Transport Wing, 1 VIP Transport Wing
• Ground Forces: 2 Deployment Command Rgt, 1 Command Support Rgt, 1 Security Rgt, 1 SAM Rgt
• Other: Air Training Center (Rgt) USA, Air Training Center Italy, Airborne Electronic Warfare Center

Support Forces Command
(Corps-level)

• Support: 2 Weapon System Support Centers/rgts, Air Force Support Group/btl
• Schools: Officer School, NCO School
• Training Centers: Air Force Training Battalion, Technical Training Center
• Other: Air Force Medical Command, Air Traffic Control Command

Planned ToE for the Air Force:

• Combat*: 140 Eurofighter (Tranche 3 cut), 85 Tornado (with ASSTA 3 upgrade)
• Transport: 64 CH-53 (6 GE, 20 GS, 38 GA), 60 C-160D (to be replaced by 40 A400M), 4 A310-304-MRTT (multirole)
• Passenger: 2 A340-313X VIP, 1 A310-304 PAX, 2 A319-133X CJ, 4 Bombardier Global 5000, 3 AS-532
• UAV: 16 future SAATEG MALE UAV, 5 Eurohawk HALE UAV (introduction 2012), 4 Global Hawk HALE UAV (detached to NATO AGS)
• Air Defense: 14 Patriot batteries (50% reduction), 4 Mantis C-RAM batteries (introduction 2012)
• Zero-funded: 19 CSAR helo modules

* Tornado ASSTA 3 upgrade implements LJDAM and Link 16 for all units (ASSTA 2, ongoing, implements Taurus cruise missiles and HARM PNU as well as other upgrades). The Tornadoes will be with one wing with primary SEAD, secondary Strike and tertiary Substrategic Nuclear Strike role and one wing with primary Recce and secondary Strike role; the tertiary ASuW role of the recce wing is transferred back to the Navy. Eurofighters go to the Multirole Wings.

[kato]

Planned Structure for the Navy:

1st Flotilla
(brigade-level)

• Squadrons: 1 Corvette Sq, 1 Mine Countermeasures Sq, 1 Submarine Sq, 1 LHD Sq
• Other: Naval Infantry Battalion, Combat Diver Group
• Naval base commands

2nd Flotilla
(brigade-level)

• Squadrons: 2 Frigate Sq, 1 Auxiliary Sq
• Naval base commands

Naval Air Wing
(regiment-level)

• Squadrons: Fixed-wing Sq, Helicopter Sq

Navy Support Command
(brigade-level)

• Component: Command Systems
• Component: Command Support
• Component: Troop Trials

Navy Schools
(brigade-level)

• Schools: Officer School, NCO School, Technical School

Planned ToE for the Navy:

• Frigates (11): 3 F124 Sachsen-class AAW FFG, 4 F123 Brandenburg-class ASW FFG, 4 F125 Baden-Württemberg-class "colonial cruisers"
• Corvettes (11): 5 K130 Braunschweig-class corvettes, 6 MKS180 future large corvettes
• Submarines: 6 U212A submarines
• Auxiliaries: not published
• Other: 10 common-hull MCMV, 3 ELINT ships
• Aircraft: 8 P-3C Orion aircraft, 30 future naval helicopters (replacing 43 Sea Lynx/Sea King)
• Zero-funded: 2 JSS future LHD

[kato]

Planned Structure for the Joint Support Forces:

Strategic Reconnaissance Command
(division-level)

• Battalions: 4 Electronic Warfare Btl
• Strategic Recce Interpretation Center
• Central Technical Office for Strategic Reconnaissance
• Strategic Reconnaissance School

(Note: EW Btls may have both field EW (jamming etc) and ELINT/SIGINT roles, depends on btl. Assets include armoured mobile EW systems, recon satellites, stationary SIGINT equipment. Also assemble recce data from Army / Recon + Field Intelligence, Navy / ELINT ships and Air Force / drones + Tornado into wider strategic picture.)

Logistics Command
(division-level)

• Battalions: 6 Logistics Btl, 1 Special Engineer Btl
• Logistics School
• Bundeswehr Logistics Center

(Note: Also runs depots and oversees maintenance plants. Central supply logistics, rear echelon. Army Supply btls in brigades do the forward echelon.)

Command Support Forces
(division-level)

• Battalions: 6 Command Support Btl, 1 NATO Command Support Btl
• Command Support School
• IT Systems Operations Center

(Note: Command Support runs communications networks and IT with roughly one battalion per division-level unit for other forces.)

Territorial Forces
(division-level)

• Military Police Brigade: 3 MP Rgt, MP School
• NBC Defense Brigade: 2 NBC Defense Btl, NBC Defense School
• Local: 15 State Commands, 25 "regional security and support forces" commands
• Other: Guard Battalion, CIMIC Center, Psychological Warfare (err, Operative Communications) Center, Training Sites

Other various units as part of Armed Forces Office (division-level). For some units a clear command hook-up has not yet been found, including the Bundeswehr counterintelligence agency (MAD) and several military academies (for staff-level officers).

Partial ToE for Joint Forces Command:

• Satellites: 5 SAR-Lupe radar recon sats, 2 BwSatCom communications sats
• Medium Armoured: ca 200 Fuchs (NBC and Electronic Warfare)

[kato]

Planned Structure for the Central Medical Service:

• Direct Units: 5 Hospitals, 2 Medical Institutes, Bundeswehr Medical Academy (division-level)

Deployable Medical Support Forces
(division-level)

• Regiments: 3 Medical Rgt, 1 Medical Training Rgt, 1 Medical Rapid Reaction Rgt
• Maintenance: 3 Medical Materials Maintenance Centers

Territorial Medical Support Forces
(division-level)

• Battalions: 15 Medical Support Centers
• Other: 105 Medical Centers, Sports Medicine Institute

(Note: Medical Centers for individual garrisons, Medical Support Centers as larger central units each responsible for a number of Medical Centers)

[BD1]

is it possible, that soon Estonia will have, just as back in 1920´s, artillery parity with Germany?
3 artillery btl, 4 (+2 reserve) tank btl., 6 mech.inf and 10 lt.inf btl. - this is not an army, it´s a glorified Bundesdivision. though bit better than the Royal Regiment that will be left of British Army :)

[NUS]

Planned future structure for the Army:

• Tanks: 225 Leopard 2 (plus reserve for cadred battalions)
• Heavy Armored: 350 Puma (introduction starting 2013)
• Medium Armored: 272 Boxer (being introduced), ca 565 Fuchs (retained)
• Light Armored: 212 Fennek
• Artillery: 81 PzH 2000 (plus reserve), 38 MARS
• Helicopters: 80 NH90, 40 Tiger

Uh...
Heinz Guderian is probably crying in his grave.

So, what kind of enemy Germany expect to fight with a force like this?

[kato]

is it possible, that soon Estonia will have, just as back in 1920´s, artillery parity with Germany?

The four artillery battalions (don't forget the one in D/F) are actually sort of regiments by size. Each has one command/supply battery with COBRA, three gun batteries (8 tubes) and one GMLRS battery (9 MARS). Recon Btls add in the necessary UAVs for using artillery for precision standoff work. Also, the Navy is regaining NGFS capability with F125/Vulcano introduction, with the guns on these tied into the artillery network.
And lets not forget about the same number of self-propelled mortars to be introduced, unlisted in above because they come on Wiesel chassis.

So, what kind of enemy Germany expect to fight with a force like this?

Capabilities and sizewise, that's structured for regional conflict in Allied context with an enemy like Afghanistan or Yugoslavia. Or Georgia. That kinda thing.

As for Guderian, he had less than that to work with in 1939, considering even the Fenneks are superior in armour and firepower to a Pz II...

Technically gotta add a total of around 2000 Dingo, Dingo II, Mungo and Eagle to the ToE under Light Armoured btw. And a couple hundred Wiesels, including mortar carriers, although there's no definitive word out on that yet.

[kato]

By now the stationing concept is out too. You can download it [here] (in German).

About 10% of all garrisons are permanently closed. The old mustering offices from conscription times are for the most part kept and used for small "career offices" - i.e. recruiting stations - or for other, usually civilian-staffed support units. This also enables reopening the mustering offices at some point in the future of course. Many other garrisons are reduced to whatever stationary units are there - e.g. Bw R&D institutes or maintenance plants mostly stay in the same place with all other units at such places being moved elsewhere. This allows parts of such places to be sold off.

[kato]

Addendum for Central Medical Service (Post #6):

Medical Support Center:
- coordinates medical centers within their region and does administration for subordinate medical centers
- holds specialist doctors, laboratories etc
- contains typically one medical training company (total: 12) responsible for doing first-aid training and initial deployment-specific first responder training to assigned combat and support units.

The subordinate regional medical centers are in the future only responsible for medical care for the units in their area. Each will typically hold at least three GPs and two dentists plus support staff.

The three medical regiments, opposed to that, will only contain full deployment-specific companies and their modular equipment (MASHs etc).

[Doktor]

Capabilities and sizewise, that's structured for regional conflict in Allied context with an enemy like Afghanistan or Yugoslavia. Or Georgia. That kinda thing.

A-stan is over, Yugoslavia is over long time ago, but Georgia???

All the mentioned countries are in a land far far away, and 1/4 of the size of Germany.

What's the purpose of army structured like this?

[gunnut]

What's the purpose of army structured like this?

To not scare the French too much...

[kato]

A-stan is over, Yugoslavia is over long time ago, but Georgia???

I mostly mentioned Georgia because some of the recent restructuring and buyings addresses problems encountered in 2008. By Germany, not by Russia. The problem back then was that Germany - other than a single satellite on its first trial runs - had no strategic reconnaissance assets suitable to the theater. There were e.g. evaluations whether ELINT ships or the old SIGINT Atlantiques could be used to monitor the situation down there, both ideas were figuratively shot down. Oh, and we want to become fully independent of NATO and the USA in this regard for strategic reasons. But also - Georgia, by the expanse of warfare there, is a classic example for an operation of the maximum size the Bundeswehr wants to achieve autonomously. Send in 40,000 to 80,000 men, do it fast and with overwhelming firepower in particular from the air and crush the opponent's aspirations within weeks.

Yeah, AFG and Yugo is over. The Bundeswehr however is structured to be used in comparable missions in the future. You do not align your structures around current day-to-day needs, that would be a bit shortsighted - you analyze the kind of missions in the past that are likely to reoccur and size your structure and capabilities in accordance with that.

All the mentioned countries are in a land far far away, and 1/4 of the size of Germany. What's the purpose of army structured like this?

Global securing of German trade routes and, where necessary, escalation into war on different levels.

The Bundeswehr as above is structured along relatively clear lines, given with examples:
- provision for a EUBG sized (1500+) rapid reaction force (reinforced infantry battalion) on call-up (-> EUFOR DR Kongo)
- provision for either one EUBG sized (1500+) permanent deployment or two such forces on call-up (-> ORH KFOR)
- provision for either one brigade sized (5000+) permanent deployment or two such forces on call-up (-> Afghanistan)
- provision for at least a reinforced division sized (20000+) deployment group for large allied operations (-> Kosovo War '99)
- provision for either 8 naval units on permanent deployment or twice that number on call-up (-> UNIFIL, EUFOR ATALANTA)
- provision for typically three QRAs in peacetime (-> Germany North, Germany South; NATO ops such as Baltic Shield)
- provision for at least a reinforced multirole fighter/strike wing (60+ aircraft) with SEAD and SAM components on call-up for large allied operations (-> Kosovo '99, Libya)
- provision for a large-scale humanitarian deployment of medical and engineering units both domestically and abroad (okay, haven't really had that yet - but that's part of the mission)

For bigger things? We've got our good old mutual defense clauses in the Lisbon treaty and NATO charter. And we're keeping the nuclear capacity for now just to be sure.

[1979]

You do not align your structures around current day-to-day needs, that would be a bit shortsighted - you analyze the kind of missions in the past that are likely to reoccur and size your structure and capabilities in accordance with that.

I think the point others were trying to make was that , this restructuring reflects the current day-to-day needs.