The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr together with the Marine and the Luftwaffe. As of 2024, the German Army had a strength of 63,047 soldiers.
The Leopard 2 is a third generation German main battle tank (MBT). Developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s, the tank entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West German army. Various iterations of the Leopard 2 continue to be operated by the armed forces of Germany, as well as 13 other European countries, and several non-European countries, including Canada, Chile, Indonesia, and Singapore. Some operating countries have licensed the Leopard 2 design for local production and domestic development.
The Boxer is a multirole armoured fighting vehicle designed by an international consortium to accomplish a number of operations through the use of installable mission modules. The governments participating in the Boxer programme have changed as the programme has developed. The Boxer vehicle is produced by the ARTEC GmbH industrial group, and the programme is being managed by OCCAR. ARTEC GmbH is based in Munich; its parent companies are KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co and Rheinmetall Land Systeme GmbH on the German side, and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. for the Netherlands. Overall, Rheinmetall has a 64% stake in the joint venture.
Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and arms manufacturer, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. The Group was promoted to the DAX, Germany's leading share index, in March 2023. It is the largest German and fifth largest European arms manufacturer, and produces a variety of armored fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, in both wheeled and tracked versions. Its name is derived from the German-language words Rhein and Metall, translating to "Rhinemetal" when combined.
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as helicopters, to seize and hold key terrain that has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy lines. In addition to regular infantry training, air-assault units usually receive training in rappelling, fast-roping techniques, and air transportation. Their equipment is sometimes designed or field-modified to allow better transportation and/or carrying within aircraft.
The Royal Netherlands Army is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the Staatse Leger was raised making the Dutch standing army one of the oldest in the world. It fought in the Napoleonic Wars, World War II, the Indonesian War of Independence and the Korean War, as well as served with NATO on the Cold War frontiers in West Germany from the 1950s to the 1990s.
The TPz Fuchs from Transportpanzer Fuchs is a German armoured personnel carrier originally developed by Daimler-Benz, and manufactured and further developed by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV). Fuchs was the second wheeled armoured vehicle to enter service with the Bundeswehr. It can be used for tasks including troop transport, engineer transport, bomb disposal, nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance and electronic warfare. RMMV and its predecessors manufactured 1,236 Fuchs 1, mostly for the German Army.
The Fennek, named after the fennec, or LGS Fennek, with LGS being short for Leichter Gepanzerter Spähwagen in German, is a four-wheeled armed reconnaissance vehicle produced by the German company KNDS Deutschland and Dutch Defence Vehicle Systems. The Turkish company FNSS Defence Systems acquired the right for licence production in 2004. It was developed for both the German Army and Royal Netherlands Army to replace their current vehicles.
The Rheinmetall LandSysteme Light Infantry Vehicle for Special Operations, or LIV (SO), is a German light armoured utility vehicle based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It is also known by the names Serval, Wolf, and AGF. As the name implies, the LIV (SO) is designed specifically for use by special operations forces, and has light armour, high mobility and high firepower. Development of the vehicle started in 2002, and 21 were procured by the German Army for the KSK special forces in 2004. An unspecified number of vehicles were delivered to the Swiss Army in 2007.
The Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, known until 2017 as the Ukrainian Airmobile Forces are the airborne forces of Ukraine. After the Dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, several Ukraine-based units from the Soviet Airborne Forces were absorbed into the newly created Ukrainian Ground Forces, where they remained until 2016, when they separated to become one of five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Air Assault Forces are in constant combat readiness. They are the high-mobility branch of the military, responsible for air assaults and military parachuting operations. Before the Russo-Ukrainian War they were also the main forces sent by Ukraine to peacekeeping missions around the world. They are considered the elite of Ukraine's armed forces.
The 11 Air Assault Brigade is the rapid light infantry brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army, focused on conducting air assault operations. Troops of the brigade are qualified to wear the maroon beret upon completion of the demanding training course, those qualified as military parachutists wear the appropriate parachutist wings. The brigade received the name "7 December" when the First Division "7 December" was disbanded in 2004.
The Rapid Forces Division, formerly Special Operations Division, is an airborne division of the German Army that was activated in 2001 and received its current designation in 2014.
The 13th Light Brigade is one of the three combat brigades of the Royal Netherlands Army, the other ones being 11th Airmobile Brigade and 43rd Mechanised Brigade. The brigade is a fully motorised brigade, equipped with Fennek, Boxer and Bushmaster wheeled, armoured vehicles.
The Multinational Division Central MND (C), was a multi-national division in NATO for Central Europe and had its headquarters at the British JHQ Rheindahlen with its barracks near Mönchengladbach.
The current structure of the Royal Netherlands Army is as follows:
The Lynx is a German armoured fighting vehicle developed by Rheinmetall Landsysteme. The Lynx, configured as a KF31 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), was unveiled at the Eurosatory defence exhibition on 14 June 2016. The KF41 variant was unveiled at the Eurosatory defence exhibition on 12 June 2018.
The Luchtmobiel Speciaal Voertuig (LSV) is a small, open off-road vehicle that can be transported by air. It is specifically designed for, and used by, the Dutch Airmobile Brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army. The LSV is nicknamed affectionately 'playmobiel' (Playmobil) by Dutch soldiers. The vehicle is designed to be transported by helicopters, and had three main variants: One for medical transport, anti-tank, and a general purpose one. The vehicle served the Dutch army for two decades and is in the process of being replaced by a new a light vehicle, although in the later years it was supplemented by the G280 CDI.
The VECTOR is a Dutch light all-terrain tactical vehicle, designed and developed by defence contractor Defenture for use with special operations forces. The VECTOR was developed in close cooperation with the Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) of the Royal Netherlands Army and is tailor-made for use in special operations, providing a combination of high mobility and firepower with light armour.
The Iveco MTV, military designation Manticore, is an infantry mobility vehicle designed and manufactered by IVECO Defence Vehicles for the Netherlands Armed Forces. The acquisition is part of the Joint Replacement Programme of Wheeled Vehicles of the Dutch Ministry of Defence, with deliveries planned from 2023 until 2026. In Dutch service, the Manticore will replace the ageing fleet of Mercedes-Benz 290GDs of the Royal Netherlands Army, the Land Rovers of the Netherlands Marine Corps and the remaining YPR-765s of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. Deliveries are planned for the second half of 2023 and should be completed by 2026.
Defenture B.V. is a defence company based in Tiel, the Netherlands that develops and produces specialist vehicles for military purposes. Defenture was established when it won the tender for the replacement of the Mercedes-Benz G280 CDI fleet of the Royal Netherlands Army's special forces, the Korps Commandotroepen.
