The combat capabilities of the armies of different countries are different, and very often they are hidden, and the media tells about a non-existent state of affairs. The most significant force is Germany, whose army inspires fear. However, experts note that in fact, everything is not as rosy as it seems. Is it really? Let's try to figure it out.
Ground Forces
Note that the Bundeswehr consists of a three-species structure, that is, of ground forces, air forces and naval forces. As separate components, a joint support force and a he alth service were created in 2000.
Let's start with the ground forces. In Germany, they include four headquarters bases of the NATO multinational corps of the so-called "rapid deployment", five task forces in the headquarters of other army corps (Greek, Spanish, Turkish, Italian and French), five divisions and auxiliary units and units in the form of:
- two armored divisions;
- motorized infantry division;
- airmobile division;
- divisions of special operations forces.
The German land army seems quite impressive. In addition, if we take into account the firepower, compared to previous years, it turns out that with the current brigade of 5,000 people, the army is much more powerful and armed than before. In modern combat conditions, contact infantry combat plays an important role, so a lot depends on the number of divisions.
Focus on peacekeeping
The German army, according to the fundamental document of German military construction, is primarily aimed at conducting peacekeeping operations as part of a coalition of forces and regulating local conflicts of a low degree of intensity. That is, in the event of martial law, the country is ready to fight only with a deliberately weak opponent in terms of the degree of combat, technical and rear capabilities.
The size of the German army has recently declined significantly - we are talking about the ground forces: now it is 84,450 people (including those who study at military schools). In addition, since 2011, compulsory military service has been abolished in Germany, which has now become fully contractual and lasts from a year to 23 months.
Current country operations abroad
According to the beginning of 2015, the German army is conducting ongoing military operations in regions such as:
- Afghanistan (900 people).
- Uzbekistan (100 people).
- Kosovo (763 people).
- Mediterranean Sea (800 people).
- Somalia (241 people).
- Mali (144 people).
- Lebanon (128 people).
- Bosnia andHerzegovina (120 people).
- Sudan (10 people).
All these operations involve Germany, whose army is involved mainly in the face of full-time employees or personnel of the rear support units. It is noteworthy that the combat component of the army does not exceed 10% of the number, but in general the country deliberately does not participate in new operations abroad, especially if you have to act in contact infantry combat, in which German soldiers are obviously weaker.
Armament of the ground forces
The country's ground forces have the following weapons:
- 1095 main battle tanks;
- 644 field artillery guns, mortars and MLRS;
- 2563 armored fighting vehicles (including 736 armored personnel carriers);
- 146 attack helicopters.
This is the ground equipment of the German army on paper, but in reality the situation is somewhat different. Experts note that the general trend in the state of the German army on paper and in reality is different, and not in a good direction for the country. It turns out that in the event of martial law, Germany is unlikely to be able to counter the stronger powers with modern and advanced equipment and weapons.
"Leopard" - the main tank
The main battle tank of the Bundeswehr is the Leopard. At the beginning of 2015, the armored units of the country are based on the use of the Leopard-2 model - there are 685 of them in service. The remaining tanks ("Leopard-1") are gradually being used to obtain metal, and at the training ground - for training purposes. And the very first models, according to the statistics of the country, there are only 173 left, theywill be decommissioned by 2017.
As for the modifications of the Leopard-2 machine, only Leopard-2A3 (their production was carried out back in 1984-1985) and Leopard-2A4 (produced from 1985 to 1987) meet the requirements of modern combat). True, recent field tests have shown that this technique of the German army has a low level of survivability, and therefore in 1991 a tank modernization program called KWS II was adopted.
Upgraded tanks
Since 1995, all tanks that have been upgraded have become known as Leopard-2A5. There are about 470 of them in 2015. And those tanks that did not pass the program are sold to third world countries. Since 2001, another 225 machines have been modernized, which have become the most modern and equipped and have received the name "Leopard-2A6". New models began to be equipped with enhanced turret armor and additional mine protection.
The German tank army, in particular the modified tank, is attracting attention with the new Rhl 120/L55 gun - with a longer barrel, which increases the firepower of the vehicle and expands the range of ammunition used. The on-board electronics has become more advanced and modern, in which a new information management system has appeared. The tank began to weigh 62 tons, and in general, its technical characteristics have become much better.
The seventh modification of the "Leopard"
In 2010, the Leopard was again improved - to the seventh modification, which receivedthe name "Leopard-2A7+". She became a heavy assault platform for fighting in urban areas. According to the changes, mine protection will be improved, removable protection modules of various projections will appear in the hull and turret, lattice screens against RPGs will be installed, small arms will be equipped with a module that can be controlled remotely. Germany, whose army was based on old equipment for a long time, planned to transfer about 150 tanks to the seventh modification, however, this goal has not yet been achieved. There is no exact data on how many modified vehicles are still in service with the country, but in open sources you can find information about 70-96 tanks. And the seventh modification is still only planned for development…
Light armored vehicles
The Marder infantry fighting vehicle, which began to enter service in 1961, has always stood out in the light armored vehicles of the country. Over the years of operation, the machines practically did not change, and only in 1979 the model was modernized, as a result of which they began to equip it with the Milan ATGM launcher on the right side of the tower, then the A2 and A3 modifications appeared. It is believed that the Marder-1A3 model is in no way inferior to the popular and powerful Leopard-1 tank in terms of the degree of personnel protection. There were no further modifications to the model, and since 1985, the Marder-2 infantry fighting vehicle development program began to be implemented in Germany. But the development took a lot of time, and the prototype of the first new car was presented only in September 1991, and testing at the site was completed only in 1998.
The German army in 2014 included 1581 Marder-1s of all modifications, and in recent years there has been talk that this vehicle will be replaced by the Puma infantry fighting vehicle, work on which has already been completed. According to calculations, by the beginning of 2016, it should replenish the country's armament. But in fact, it turns out that so far there is not a single modification of the Puma in service with Germany. It turns out that the main means of ensuring the mobility of the infantry and its fire cover are wheeled vehicles and armored personnel carriers. The figures show that of the light armored vehicles in the country's army, only German armored personnel carriers in the amount of 1135 armored personnel carriers are really suitable for use, of which only 779 are suitable for use in combat, while the Wiesels are more appropriate to use not for transporting personnel, but for intelligence.
Modern artillery
The once formidable German artillery has undergone many changes, and first of all they have resulted in large-scale reductions. Like the United States, Germany, whose army needs modern and sophisticated weapons, began to create the latest and technically advanced weapons systems that would allow the army to have great firepower even with a reduction in the number of vehicles. The Germans invented the unique PzH2000 cannon, which provided targeted coverage with a standard projectile of a target at a distance of 30 km. The rate of fire was three shots in just 9.2 s with a standard of 10 s, 8 shots in 51.4 s with a standard of 60 s. To the distinctive featuresthis gun can be attributed to the following:
- Record for rate of fire.
- High and reliable protection of the crew and combat equipment due to the steel armor of the turret and hull of the self-propelled gun.
- Optimal armor thickness is a guarantee that the crew will be reliably protected from small arms up to 14.5 mm caliber, large fragments from shells.
- The use of the cannon is expedient directly on the battlefield.
This is the best self-propelled gun in the world, so we found the answer to the question of which army in Germany is the most reliable and powerful. True, there are a little less than 200 such guns in the country.
Another available weapon of the German army is self-propelled mortars: M113A1G PZM (120 mm) and 100 MLRS MLRS. These guns have the following technical features:
- firing range - from 2 km to 40 km;
- area affected by a volley - up to 25,000 square meters. m;
- equipment with numerous types of ammunition, including cluster munitions.
Army aviation of the Bundeswehr
The German army in terms of aviation consists of 38 Tiger attack helicopters, 118 Vo-105 attack helicopters, 93 CH-53G heavy transport helicopters, 93 UH-1D multipurpose helicopters, 39 EU-135 and 77 NH-90. The country's Air Force is controlled by the Central Directorate and the Operational Command in Cologne. The operational command includes three aviation divisions, but there are no training units in the country. Cadets are trained in the USA on their own technical bases.
Germany's main strike force is based onfighter-bombers "Typhoon" - at the moment there are about 100 of them in service with the country. Tornado bombers (there are 144 of them on the basis of Germany) of the latest modification can be used as strike bombers. According to experts, these machines are capable of being in service in the next 8-10 years. The size of the German army is gradually decreasing, and the same trend is noted in terms of its equipment. Thus, the Luftwaffe still has old Phantom-2 and Tornado fighter-bombers, although they should have been written off long ago.
There are several A-319, A-340 in the country's transport aviation, but experts say that these capabilities are not enough to solve the problems that it faces. That is, this amount of equipment is not enough even to land one airborne brigade and provide it with supplies for at least a month, subject to active hostilities. There are 18 Patriot batteries in ground defense.
German Navy
The army of Russia (and Germany too) has long been considered very powerful, but the Germans are gradually losing ground, holding leadership only in some sectors. So, the German navy is the most perfect in terms of equipment and balance. True, he does not face serious tasks, and the guns in service are enough to defend the coasts and help the allies. At the moment, the Bundesmarine is helping with reconnaissance and control of the B altic Sea.
In this state of affairs, it is surprising, but in Germany - a powerful andan advanced shipbuilding industry that produces some of the best naval weapons in the world - diesel-powered submarines in the first place. These models are actively purchased by India, Greece, Turkey, South Korea, Venezuela. At the same time, Germany's own fleet is very small. The number of the German army in terms of fleets is only 4 Type 212 submarines, 13 frigates of various types - from old to modern, two boats are being built.
Modern frigate "Sachsen"
As we have already said, the shipbuilding industry in the country is quite powerful. And this is evidenced, for example, by the construction of a new frigate of the Sachsen type. This project involves the construction of a destroyer, which externally and by design is a platform for naval weapons. By the way, it will appear in Germany in the near future. The distinctive features of this technique include the following:
- The ship will be equipped with a 127 mm universal cannon, two helicopters, a pair of RIM-116 and 27 mm units.
- Equipment will be supplemented with standard Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
- The frigate's armament will be controlled by a special automated combat control system, which consists of 17 computerized workstations, 11 modules with an interface, two large information displays, a satellite communications console and two workstations.
The main armament is still not exactly known, but I want to believe that the equipment will be serious and worthy of attention. In the Bundesmarine, corvettes, missile boats,minesweepers, and in naval aviation there are 8 anti-submarine aircraft. According to experts, if the planned technologies are implemented into reality, this frigate will be equipped with systems that can track up to 1000 targets at once.
The most powerful weapon of the German army
It is believed that the most optimal, in terms of combat readiness, units of the German army are part of the NATO Joint Very Rapid Response Force. In 2014, a meeting of the Bundeswehr command was held, at which the current state of the army's material and technical base was discussed. The roster of the most powerful weapons was based on combat vehicles. Armored personnel carriers, helicopters, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers were especially noted. At the same time, it was noted at the meeting that almost all old-style weapons need serious repairs, and sometimes write-offs. As a result of the meeting, it became clear that the Bundeswehr is currently unable to solve large-scale tasks in the military field. The state of the army is such that individual brigades of the German army can be sent to help other countries, and then where the military conflict is not of the highest intensity.
From the hand weapons of the German army, rifles stand out, including snipers, machine guns, pistols, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers.
German army ranks
The insignia of the German army depends on the ranks, there are three of them in this country - officers, non-commissioned officers and privates.
Officer ranks are divided into generals, senior and junior officers.
Non-commissioned officers are divided into non-commissionedofficers with and without a harness.
All the differences are visible in shoulder straps, buttonholes, headdress and sleeves, which are decorated differently - in accordance with the rank. In addition, shoulder straps are significantly different from those used during the Second World War.
Photos of the German army show that we have power and modern equipment. Experts say that the armament of the country is going through hard times. But if necessary, Germany will be able to mobilize and deal with the enemy, albeit not as easily as we would like in practice.
At the end of the article, let's say a few words about the Joint Support Force and the Medical and Sanitary Service. The first is headed by an inspector with the rank of Deputy Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, and its task is to manage, provide and train soldiers. There are about 23,000 people under the supervision of the He alth Inspector.
