Kategorie: English

Update – Bundeswehr starts collecting winter gear for NATO’s VJTF: Dude, we need your balaclava!

Update: After this story appeared here on Monday, on Tuesday morning I got an official statement from the Ministry of Defence: Yesterday, decision has been taken to procure the needed 6.400 balaclavas immediately. They will be issued to the soldiers participating in the VJTF in due time. The order you quoted has been rescinded. The original story: For 2019, the Bundeswehr is preparing to take over the lead of NATO’s spearhead, the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). In

Weiterlesen

75 Jahre Stars&Stripes in Europa: Samstag in Kaiserslautern/Ramstein

(scroll down for English version) Die US-Soldatenzeitung Stars&Stripes, auch das hat sehr viel mit deutscher Geschichte zu tun, kam im April 1942 nach Europa. Diese 75-jährige Geschichte dieses sehr interessanten Mediums ist hier sehr schön zusammengefasst, aber: Es wird am kommenden Wochenende dazu auch ein paar Veranstaltungen geben. Natürlich in der größten US-Garnison in Deutschland, in Kaiserslautern, und auf der benachbarten Airbase Ramstein. Und da werde ich auch anwesend sein: Bei den Events gibt es eine Podiumsdiskussion, unter anderem mit

Weiterlesen

Germany to procure Israeli Heron TP UAV for the Bundeswehr

Germany has decided to start the procurement process for Israeli-built Heron TP UAV for its armed forces, the Bundeswehr, defence minister Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday. „Our chief of defence has decided that we will go into negotiation with the Israelis with the aim of leasing the Heron TP as a recconaissance drone to protect our soldiers“, von der Leyen told reporters in Berlin. „We are talking about an UAV that can be armed. This will be the standard

Weiterlesen

German Armed forces to scrap G36 Assault Rifle, will procure new system

The German Armed Foces will replace its standard weapon, the G36 assault rifle, with a new system. Procuring of a new assault rifle could begin as early as 2019, under secretary for procurement Katrin Suder told the Bundestag’s defence committee on Tuesday. The decision comes after months of heated debate over the shortfalls of the G36, manufactured by the German company Heckler&Koch. According to the Ministry of Defence, the rifle lacks precision when overheating after hundreds of rounds in a

Weiterlesen

The German Armed Forces weekly deployment summaries: Now on file here

Since February 2011, the Bundeswehr, the German Armed Forces, have published a weekly summary of the deployment of German soldiers, from Afghanistan to Kosovo to Somalia. Nothing classified in there, but it comes pretty handy when you want to look up German troop strength in Afghanistan in August 2013 or deployed vessels in anti-piracy operations off Africa in September 2011. However, as the Bundeswehr’s (and the MoD’s) content managing system is, uh, a bit special, you will find recent summaries,

Weiterlesen

France joins NATO Air defense

Six years after returning into the military structure of NATO, France on June 10 also joined the Alliance’s integrated air defense system. The press release from NATO Air Command, Ramstein: After thorough preparation and planning, jointly and effectively coordinated between the French and NATO Headquarters, France agreed to declare its assets eligible for NATO Air Policing duties over the French airspace and neighboring countries as of 01 June 2015. After a short period of time, necessary to update and implement

Weiterlesen

Berlin OK’s delivery of Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Iraq

Germany has approved the delivery of 280 Russian-designed Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) BMP-1 to Iraq. The IFV’s had been obtained by the Bundeswehr, the German Armed Forces, after  German unification in 1990. The armaments director in the German defense ministry, LtGen Benedikt Zimmer, signed a letter to a Czech company authorising the sale to Iraq. The letter has been obtained by Augen geradeaus!. After taking over the Nationale Volksarmee, the armed forces of East Germany, the Bundeswehr overhauled the fighting

Weiterlesen

News about ISIS? Skip the social media stuff, please call.

Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve replaces USCENTCOM as public affairs release authority. #Iraq #Syria — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 5, 2014 It seems the U.S. (and the U.S. led coalition) against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (or ISIS, ISIL or, more recently, Daesh) is scaling down its actions on a front where it matters most: information. This Friday, U.S. Central Command announced via Twitter that news releases for Operation Inherent resolve will no longer be published by

Weiterlesen