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Procurement of decoys and Leopard 2 driving school tanks approved

Gerhard Heiming

December 4, 2023

In addition to the financial resources for the Eurofighter EK (ESuTreported), the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag also approved the financing of the procurement of decoys (flares) and Leopard 2 driving school tanks at the meeting on November 29th

Sham targets

The Bundeswehr wants to procure dummy targets for Bundeswehr aircraft through a framework agreement with Rheinmetall. According to the BMVg, the dummy targets are intended to distract enemy missiles from the aircraft and thus protect it. According to the BMVg, the plan is to procure up to 476,208 dummy targets for 49.3 million euros. These are IR-BIRDIE (Bispectral Infrared Decoy Improved Efficiency) 118 BS and IR-BIRDIE 218 decoys. The infrared targets are fired from helicopters, transport aircraft and jets in order to detect incoming surface-to-air missiles , SAM) or air-to-air (air-to-air missile, AAM) missiles with infrared homing heads. The dummy targets, so-called flares, simulate or cover up the hot engine exhaust gases emitted by the aircraft using their infrared radiation.

Delivery is scheduled to take place between 2024 and 2029. The procurement is financed through the regular defense budget. The contract can be concluded despite the current budget freeze. The Federal Ministry of Finance justified the material and temporal irrefutability of this project and the project described below to the Federal Ministry of Finance, whereupon the ban on the projects was lifted.

Driving school tank

The Bundeswehr's Leopard 2 driving school tanks have been used for over 40 years and are technically more in line with the combat vehicles for which the drivers are trained. After the approval of the funds by the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag, the Bundeswehr can now purchase 16 Leopard 2 driving school tanks in the A6 A3 version and 8 Leopard 2 driving school tanks in the A7V version, as the BMVg writes. The procurement is supplemented by other training materials such as driving simulators.

In a framework contract with the manufacturer KNDS, the Bundeswehr wants to agree on the delivery of up to 56 driving school tanks. Around 192 million euros are earmarked for the 24 driving school tanks mentioned above. An option has been agreed for the procurement of a further 32 driving school tanks. The price for this is estimated at 277 million euros. Partner nations or allies who also use the Leopard 2 main battle tank can take part in this second tranche.

The first tranche will be financed from the Bundeswehr's special funds. The period 2026 to 2029 has been agreed for delivery.

According to the BMVg's description, driving school tanks have a glazed structure with a dummy cannon instead of a turret with an on-board cannon, from which the driving instructors have a good view and can oversteer the trainees if necessary. They will be used primarily by the driver training center in Munster and in the future also in Baumholder.

At the end of the tank driving school, which was previously simulator-supported, the driving students move a vehicle through the terrain that corresponds to the combat vehicle in terms of handling, dimensions and weight, which they will later have to move tactically correctly as drivers. This also includes the mockup of the cannon, which must be taken into account when driving in difficult terrain and in narrow passages.

Gerhard Heiming

Sham targets

Driving school tank

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