Archive: News & technical articles

The army wants to reform its training structures for recruits this year. It starts with three brigades. Soldiers will then no longer go through general basic training followed by special basic training. Instead, they should receive the new basic training. The reason for the reform is inadequate combat training in the existing system. Basic training is a formative […]

Die mobile Raketenartillerie Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) der U.S. Army wird Ziele in mehr als 500 Kilometer Entfernung bekämpfen können. Die ersten einsatzfähigen Flugkörper wurden im Dezember 2023 an das Militär ausgeliefert. PrSM gilt als nächste Generation der weitreichenden Raketenartillerie. Die neue Waffe löst die 1991 eingeführte ATACMS-Raketen (Army Tactical Missile System) ab und soll […]

Two years ago, Russia attacked Ukraine in violation of international law. With the counteroffensive that began in June 2023, Ukraine has not yet been able to achieve its goal of interrupting the land bridge to Crimea in the south, cutting the Russian supply lines and dividing the Russian forces in the Ukraine theater of war with an advance to the Sea of ​​Azov. […]

Die aktuellen industriellen Kapazitäten zur Produktion von insbesondere 155-mm-Artilleriegeschossen in Europa sind weiterhin nicht ausreichend, um die Lieferungen an die Ukraine und den Aufwuchs von Lagerbeständen zu gewährleisten. Russland hat bereits begonnen, seine industriellen Kapazitäten massiv auszubauen. Die Weichen für den Kapazitätsausbau müssen jetzt gestellt werden, um auch weiterhin das Ziel zu verfolgen, die Ukraine […]

The wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip underline the great importance of infantry and dismounted fighting forces on today's battlefields. They also provide insights into current and future elements of the infantry toolbox. The infantry toolbox is designed to enable dismounted foot soldiers to operate against targets from zero to approximately 2,000 meters. […]

Clothing and personal equipment make a significant contribution to the combat effectiveness of soldiers. A number of armed forces are currently modernizing their equipment. Military clothing and equipment systems have to fulfill a variety of tasks. They are intended to protect against the effects of the weather, threats on the battlefield and reconnaissance from the enemy. They are intended to be comfortable to wear and provide the quickest possible access to the combat and [...]

A long-taboo debate is just tentatively beginning in Germany, which seems to be as far removed from everyday political life as the moon landing is from a flight to Mallorca. Nevertheless, both are actually taking place at the moment: the preparation for a new moon landing and the necessary strategy development for a new era of nuclear deterrence. The old balance of terror was […]

2023 was dominated by the continued Russian war against Ukraine and the new Middle East war. In other parts of the world, too, there is increasing reliance on military conflict resolution, for example in the Caucasus. On September 19, Azerbaijan again attacked the unilaterally declared independent Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), defeating it in just one day. A week later […]

Digitalization creates completely new opportunities to know how operationally ready the German armed forces are and where action is needed. Moltke's well-known saying “first weigh, then dare” becomes a data-based reality. Digitalization is one of those topics that is seen as crucial for the future, regardless of all differences and borders. Diverse digitization projects shape Germany – and also the […]

In the German debate about the reintroduction of compulsory military service or the creation of compulsory military service, Sweden is repeatedly referred to, not least by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. ES&T spoke to Swedish defense attaché Captain Jonas Hård af Segerstad about conscription in his country. What can it do, what cannot and which [...]

The defense policy guidelines presented in November 2023 will advance the armed forces' orientation towards national and alliance defense in all categories and place war capability at the center of all efforts. "The core mission of national and alliance defense is ... determining self-image, structure, functionality, multinational cooperation, training and exercises." Multinational cooperation - that is, multinational, for [...]

In the fall of 2023, something unprecedented took place. MILEX23, the European Union's first military exercise that went beyond a mere planning exercise and included real troops. The exercise was planned and led by the EU military headquarters, the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC). A largely unknown institution, but with major tasks ahead of it, [...]

Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022, which violates international law, has lastingly shaken the European peace order and, as a consequence, has put Germany's ability to defend itself and form alliances to the test. NATO responded that same year, adopting a new strategic concept and, as a result, realigning its defense plans. From now on, the alliance will focus again […]

Interview with Brigadier General Jürgen Schmidt, head of the combat department at BAAINBw ES&T: The decisions for the heavy weapon carrier for the infantry and the wheeled howitzer have been made. What is the future direction of the Bundeswehr when it comes to using the Boxer platform for, for example, the medium-sized forces of the army? Examples here would be: AFV wheel, recovery equipment, bridge layer, LVS IRIS-T or CUAS, fire/mortar, anti-tank […]

Interview with Marc Roth, Vice President Product Strategy/Special Tasks and HK Task Force Leader Ukraine at Heckler & Koch ES&T: The war in Ukraine, the escalating Middle East conflict - all of this shows that hand weapons are very important for the soldier's individual fighting ability . Are you noticing a higher demand for handguns? Roth: Basically […]

The US Army is currently modernizing its combat vehicle fleet in order to be able to face powerful opponents. Modernization includes both the upgrade of existing systems and the introduction of completely new combat vehicles. The U.S. Army currently has 35 high-priority acquisition programs in six performance categories. This includes vehicles and improved long-range artillery. Overall, the goal is to make army units more mobile, [...]

The Bundeswehr special fund was established by law in July 2022. In an initial economic plan, a total of 38 projects were listed in five dimensions, covering a financial volume of 100 billion euros. In December 2022, a new economic plan - heavily revised after criticism - was published for the first time in connection with the law on the determination [...]

Interview with the Inspector of the Army, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais ES&T: Mr. General, according to NATO plans, the German armed forces will in the future essentially be deployed in the Baltic region to defend the alliance's territory. What challenges does this bring and how do you deal with them? Mais: Today, NATO's defense planning is once again the determining factor for [...]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has already led to a change in NATO's defense concept and a reassessment of the principles of modern warfare. This reassessment takes into account the special situation of Ukraine, which is faced with an opponent that is significantly superior in manpower and equipment. NATO’s military strategy has […]

The Defense Science Institute for Materials and Operating Materials (WIWeB), as a departmental research institution of the Bundeswehr, deals, among other things, with developing and optimizing clothing and personal protective equipment for soldiers. In addition to textile technology, chemical and physical aspects, clothing technology is also taken into account and solutions to improve ergonomic wearing comfort are researched. Examples are the […]

While the reserve strategy in 2019 envisaged an “adequate and credible” reserve, almost half a decade later and in year two of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, only marginal progress has been reported in the Bundeswehr's essential reinforcement element. Not only does the Bundeswehr reserve fall short of its own requirements, the suitability of the […]