The German armed forces – Bundeswehr – should lead as a frame army NATO’s rapid reaction force for securing the alliance rimlands in 2019, with focus on the East. Core of the German brigade size engagement is to provide the lead battle group for the so called Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). The German VJTF battle group is a mechanized one, consisting of 700 soldiers. Its main units: Two Leopard-2 tank companies (each with 14 tanks) from the Panzerlehrbataillon 93 and one company of armored infanterymen with Marder fighting vehicles from the Panzergrenadierbataillon 401. Furthermore the battle group is supplemented by sappers, joint fire support specialists and medics from other units.

German Leopard 2 tanks simulated a fast attack on mechanized enemy forces outside the training city Schnöggersburg – photo: Björn Müller (all rights reserved)
Now those units are certified by NATO as combat ready for their task. The combat readiness evaluation (CREVAL) took place at Schnöggersburg, a hugh training area with the focus on urban warfare of Germanys armed forces which construction is nearing completion. At the close of the combat readiness evaluation, the Germans presented their fighting skills with Norwegian and Dutch units of the upcoming VJTF with a fictive assault operation at Schnöggersburg – to retake a city and its airport which had been conquered shortly before from mechanized enemy forces. Germanys land forces chief of staff, lieutenant-General Jörg Vollmer, was visibly proud to announce that the Bundeswehr units passed CREVAL with the grade „excellent“. Weiterlesen







