Army Aviation Troops (Bundeswehr)

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Beret badge

The Army Aviation Corps ( HFlgTr ) is a branch of service in the army of the Bundeswehr . The German Army Air Force is one of the combat support troops . With their combat and transport helicopters , the Army Aviation Troops contribute to air-moving and air-mechanized operations of the Army.

assignment

Discontinuation of parachutists and service dog of a Bell UH-1 D

With its helicopters, the Army Aviation Troops enable airborne command, reconnaissance , combat and operational support, including the airborne transport of personnel, wounded and material. Army aviators support all branches of the Army as well as other areas of the Bundeswehr. Army aviators also contribute to the operations of the army's special forces . With their air-mechanized forces, the troops are capable of independent air-mobile combat in and out of the airspace close to the ground over enemy-occupied territory. The basis of the army's air mechanization and air mobility is the rapid forces division , in which the army aviators work together with the army's airborne forces and special forces. The rapid succession of fire fighting (u. A. Also anti-aircraft and anti-tank hunting ) and transport of infantry, materials and supplies over the short and medium distances are the strengths of the Army Aviation Corps, which unfold especially in fast-moving operations. Due to their mobility, Army aviators make a particular contribution to the free operation of the armed forces, especially in operations at depth.

history

prehistory

In 1887, the 1st Prussian airship department with tethered balloons for close-up reconnaissance was founded, with which the history of military aviation in Germany began. In 1906, a “test company for motorized airship travel” was set up and the first German army airship was put into service. The airships were initially tasked with reconnaissance, and later mainly for strategic bombing. In 1914, the Döberitz Aviation School was converted into the "Training and Research Institute for Military Aviation ". From 1914 to 1918, the balloons and airships in World War I used. At the same time there were a large number of combat and reconnaissance aircraft that organizationally belonged to the army, since the German military did not yet have a pure "air force".

When the Wehrmacht was founded in 1935, the Luftwaffe emerged as a separate armed force after the Treaty of Versailles initially banned military aviation in Germany. Up until 1945 there were no army pilots in the army, as Hermann Göring claimed all flying material for his air force, which also concerned the flying forces of the navy . It was only with the establishment of the Bundeswehr in 1955 that the German Army Aviation Weapon was established by name and organization.

Army structure I

The Do 27: the only fixed-wing aircraft in the history of the German Army Aviation
Alouette II with SS.11 anti-tank missiles in 1960

In 1954, Colonel Horst Pape, "Adviser to the Army for issues relating to Army Aviation" was commissioned to plan the establishment of the Army Aviation Force. The first flying association of army aviators was set up in Niedermendig in May 1957 . The first units were equipped from 1957 with Bell 47 G-2 and fixed-wing Do 27 aircraft. The following helicopters were also procured for testing: 14 Bell 47 GH13 , 6 Djinn So 1221 , 10 Skeeter Mark 6 , Bristol 171 Sycamore , 28 Vertol H21 and 26 Sikorsky S58 H34 . The Do 27 liaison aircraft was replaced in 1959 by 130 newly acquired SA-318 Alouette II helicopters . The Alouette II served as a training helicopter at the Heeresfliegerwaffenschule (established in 1959 in Niedermendig, from 1960 onwards in Bückeburg), but was only replaced by the Eurocopter EC 135 in 2000 . Niedermendig, Celle and Fritzlar were the first airfields with regular flight operations.

Army structure II

From 1963, the Bell UH-1 D was introduced to the Army Aviation School as a training aircraft and in 1967 as a transport helicopter.

Army structure III

The Bückeburg helicopter museum was inaugurated in 1971 . In 1972 Sikorsky S65 CH53 helicopters were acquired. These replaced the Sikorsky H-34. The numerical superiority of the Warsaw Pact in tanks led to the procurement of the MBB BO105 , which the Bundeswehr equipped with HOT guided missiles in addition to the anti-tank defense. Otherwise, the MBB BO105 was used as a liaison and observation helicopter without additional armament.

Army structure IV

With the new anti-tank helicopters, the anti-tank helicopter regiments (16 (Celle), 26 (Roth) and 36 (Fritzlar)) were set up for the first time in 1979. After reunification , the helicopter types Mi-8 and Mi-24 were initially taken over by the NVA , but ultimately decommissioned. The NVA units of the army flying forces that were taken over were attack helicopter squadrons 3 and 5. They were reclassified to Army Aviation Squadrons 70, 80 and East. Since 1991 soldiers from other troops have also been trained at the Army Aviation School.

Army structure V (N)

The newly established Army Aviation Brigade 3 ( Mendig ) for the first time united all forces of the transport helicopter associations as well as almost all observation and liaison squadrons in 1994. This made it the forerunner of the Airmobile Brigade 1 at the time . Previously, the Army Aviation Forces were subordinate to the German corps and the divisions also had their own Army Aviation Liaison Squadrons. The commander of the Heeresfliegerwaffenschule has also been General of the Heeresflieger since 1995 , who previously had his seat in the Army Office .

After 1997

In 1997 the Air Mechanized Brigade 1 was put into service at the Fritzlar Air Base . This was the first time that the army received quickly deployable and airmobile infantry forces. Together with the combat helicopter regiments of the brigade, they were able to conduct air-powered combat from the air and from the ground. In 1990 a first prototype of the NH90 was presented at the Army Aviation School. In 1999 the CH-53GS was introduced into the force. The decommissioning of the Alouette II began in 2000 when the first EC 135 was handed over . At the end of 2003, the first Eurocopter Tigers were procured for testing purposes. Since 2005 pilots have been trained on this model at the Franco-German Army Aviation Training Center Tiger in (Le Cannet des Maures) in southern France. In 2012 it was decided to use the CH-53 in the Air Force and the NH90 in the Army. As a consequence, this led to the personnel and material reduction of the Army Aviation Troops to the international helicopter training center in Bückeburg, two NH90 regiments and one combat helicopter regiment. Since 2012, the branch has had around 200 helicopters for training and operational assignments. Similar to the Naval Aviation Command, an Army helicopter command is to be set up in 2020 .

Calls

Army aviators during the SFOR mission
German army aviators during Operation Kurdish Aid

Army aviators were and are involved in almost every foreign and disaster deployment of the army due to their special skills. These include u. a .:

education

The international helicopter training center in Bückeburg is the central training facility for the military . The commander of the training center is also the general of the Army Aviation Force . He is responsible for training the Army Aviation Troops. For the training of pilots and aircraft technicians on the Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter , the German and French armed forces have been running the Franco-German Army Aviation Training Center Tiger in Le Cannet-des-Maures ( France ) and the Franco-German training facility TIGER in Faßberg since 2003 . The German parts of both institutions are subordinate to the International Helicopter Training Center.

organization

classification

The Army Aviation Corps is a branch of service of the army of the Bundeswehr . It is one of the combat support troops .

The other branches of the armed forces have similar forces as the army aviators, but do not divide them into any type of service. In the Navy , these are the naval aviators of the naval aviation squadron. The Luftwaffe combines comparable forces in Helicopter Squadron 64 .

The transport helicopter regiments take on similar tasks as the army logistics troops . Combat helicopter regiments, like the Army Reconnaissance Force , the former Army Air Defense Force , and the former tank destroyers, are capable of anti-tank, air defense and reconnaissance.

Active units

The Army Aviation Forces are combined in the Rapid Forces division , which comprises the following units of the Army Aviation Force:

designation place Association Airplane type
Internal association badge Transport helicopter regiment 10 Lüneburg Heath Fassberg Fast forces division NH90
Internal association badge Transport helicopter regiment 30 Niederstetten Fast forces division Bell UH-1D ; NH90
Internal association badge Combat helicopter regiment 36 Kurhessen Fritzlar Fast forces division Eurocopter Tiger

Units decommissioned

equipment

Aircraft

Eurocopter Tiger (UHT) support helicopter
The NH90 transport helicopter

The following helicopter types are available to army aviators or are in the procurement phase:

Emergency helicopter

  • Eurocopter Tigers , 53 units (two of which are still planned for phasing out; as of June 2019): According to the planning as part of the realignment of the Bundeswehr , a total of 45 Tigers should be operated permanently. In the meantime it has been decided to set the fleet size to 51 Tiger helicopters. The remaining of the 68 UH Tigers ordered and delivered by July 2018 are to serve as spare parts stores. To standardize the equipment stands, a further 33 Tigers will be converted to the "ASGARD" state of construction (12 machines have already been converted by March 2014) and older helicopters will be eliminated.
  • NH90 , 74 pieces (as of September 2019): The tactical transport helicopter replaces the Bell UH-1D. A total of 82 NH90s are to be put into service by the end of 2021.
  • Bell UH-1 D, 10 pieces: The light transport helicopter (LTH) was replaced with the introduction of the NH90 and is only used for SAR operations.
  • H145 LUH SAR , 7 pieces (ordered) The H145 will replace from 2020 introduced in the 70s, Bell UH-1 D in their role as SAR helicopter. With the 15 H145M LUH SOF for the special forces in the helicopter squadron 64 of the Air Force and the 13 Eurocopter EC 135 for the International Helicopter Training Center of the Army, they are the third type of a helicopter family from Airbus Helicopters , which contributes to a further standardization of the helicopter fleet in the Bundeswehr.

Training helicopter

  • Eurocopter EC 135 T1 (14 pieces)
  • Bell 206 B3, (6 pieces) to replace the Bo 105 for basic training and in particular for training special emergency procedures leased in December 2016 for four years with a total flight hours reserve of 15,400 flight hours.

uniform

The weapon color of the Army Aviation Troops , shown for example as the color of the braids and collar tabs , is called "light gray" ( RAL 7037, dusty gray ). The color of the beret is called " burgundy red " ( RAL 4004 bordeaux violet ). Army aviators share this beret color with the airborne units of the Rapid Forces Division . The beret badge shows an aviator's wing that is vertically crossed by a sword, framed by oak leaves. A special feature are the cuffs on their uniforms , which only a few soldiers in the army wear. The aviator's wing is also shown on the cuff.

Military symbol

Tactical sign of the army aviators

The military symbol of the army aviators and comparable forces of the NATO troops shows the stylized side view of the rotor circle plane. This basic symbol is supplemented by ability-specific symbols, depending on the type of Army Aviation Unit. The representation of the propeller (roughly equivalent to a lying figure eight) was the military symbol within the Bundeswehr until 2006 and was based on the fact that the army aviators were initially equipped with propeller planes. From 2006 the international military symbol of NATO was adopted. The military symbol of the Luftwaffe is similar to the old version, but the propellers are not filled in.

Rank designations

The lowest rank in the Army Aviation Force is the aviator . He corresponds to the rank of rifleman, radio operator, armored infantryman, etc. ( → see here ) of other branches of service. The other ranks correspond to the general ranks of the Bundeswehr . Most air force uniform bearers in the lowest rank also hold the rank of aviator .

Bundeswehr Cross Black.svg Team rank
Lower rank   Higher rank
- Aviator Private

Rank group : Teams-NCOs-NCO-NCOs-Lieutenant-Captains-Staff officers-Generals

war cry

The battle cry and motto of the Army Aviation Troops is: “Without fear - Forward!” (International Helicopter Training Center only), otherwise “ Broken neck !”.

literature

  • Christin-Désirée Rudolph: Soldiers under the rotor - the helicopter associations of the Bundeswehr. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2012, ISBN 978-3-613-03413-6 .
  • Bundeswehramt (Ed.): Our Army 3: Heeresflieger . Bad Godesberg 1962.
  • Fred Bünz: Modernization in the Bundeswehr: the development of the concept of air mobility and the corresponding operational principles; with special consideration of the interrelationship between theory and practice formulated by Carl von Clausewitz . Diss. University of the Bundeswehr Munich. Munich 1999.
  • Joachim Dressel, Manfred Griel: Airplanes and helicopters of the Bundeswehr . Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-613-01358-4 .
  • Fritz Garben: German Army Aviators: national and international rescue, aid and UN missions . Stedinger-Verlag, Lemwerder 2005, ISBN 3-927697-41-9 .
  • Fritz Garben: Five decades of army aviators: types, tactics and history . Stedinger-Verlag, Lemwerder 2006, ISBN 3-927697-45-1 .
  • Kurt Schütt: Army Aviators: Military Class of the Third Dimension; the history of the Army Aviation Troops of the Bundeswehr . Bernard and Graefe, Koblenz 1985, ISBN 3-7637-5451-2 .
  • Federal Ministry of Defense (Ed.): Heeresflieger. 1000 keywords about the Bundeswehr . Mittler, Hamburg 1996, ISBN 3-8132-0536-3 .
  • Bernd Vetter, Frank Vetter: The German army aviators. History, types and associations . Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-613-02146-3 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ministry of Defense (ed.): Military regulations 100/100 - TF / G . (Literally: "With its forces, the Army Aviation Troops enable airmobile command, reconnaissance and combat support as well as airmobile personnel and material transport, including the air transport of the wounded. With air mechanized forces, it is capable of independent combat in and out of the airspace close to the ground over enemy-occupied territory") .
  2. ↑ What is the mission of the Army Aviation Troops? Federal Ministry of Defense, head of the press and information staff, accessed on February 16, 2013 .
  3. ↑ New command helicopter German Army News, October 28, 2019
  4. ↑ 9. Report of the Federal Ministry of Defense on Armaments Matters. (PDF) Federal Ministry of Defense, May 10, 2019, pp. 86ff , accessed on October 5, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Tiger fleet must remain on the ground for the time being. Bundeswehr Journal, August 7, 2019, accessed on October 5, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Thomas Wiegold: Helicopter Deal: Actually as expected. Eyes straight ahead, November 26, 2014, accessed on November 29, 2014 .
  7. ↑ Thomas Wiegold: Last Tiger helicopter handed over in Afghanistan configuration. Eyes straight ahead, March 6, 2014, accessed October 5, 2019 .
  8. ^ Karl Schwarz: NH90 maintenance at Airbus Helicopters and Elbe Flugzeugwerke. Flug Revue, August 28, 2019, accessed on September 26, 2019 .
  9. ↑ 9. Report of the Federal Ministry of Defense on Armaments Matters. (PDF) Federal Ministry of Defense, May 10, 2019, pp. 80ff , accessed on October 5, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Bundeswehr orders H145 for SAR service. In: Flight Revue . December 13, 2018, accessed December 13, 2018 .
  11. ↑ A newcomer to the Bückeburg sky. Schaumburger Nachrichten, March 16, 2017, accessed on August 16, 2017 .
  12. ↑ a b The equivalent, higher and lower ranks are given in accordance with ZDv 14/5 B 185, cf. The Federal Minister of Defense (ed.): ZDv 14/5. Soldiers Act . DSK AV110100174, change status July 17, 2008. Bonn August 21, 1978, rank designations in the Bundeswehr, p. B 185 (Not to be confused with the Law on the Legal Status of Soldiers (Soldiers Act) . The order of the ranks shown in the info box does not necessarily correspond to one of the regular rank sequences provided for in the Soldiers' Career Ordinance , nor does it necessarily correspond to the rank hierarchy described in the Superiors Ordinance a managerial relationship ).