The following lists German active and reserve units within the structure of the German Army. Reserve units do not possess any heavy equipment and their personnel is intended as replacements for losses sustained by regular units.
The German Army is commanded by the Inspector of the Army (Inspekteur des Heeres) based at the Army Command (Kommando Heer) in Strausberg near Berlin. The training centers are supervised by the Army Training Command in Leipzig.
The Army's combat formations comprise two Panzer (armoured) divisions and the lighter Rapid Forces Division. There are five heavy brigades and half a light infantry brigade in the two panzer divisions. Battalions and regiments are directly subordinate to brigades or to divisions as divisional troops. Regiments are rare. German infantry battalions field 1,000 men, considerably larger than most NATO armies.
The list describes the current structure of the army, which replaced the previous structure NEW HEER (NEU HEER). Under the heading of “transformation”, the structure of the army is subject to constant change in small steps. With this current structure, the HEER 2011 structure was achieved. The first fundamental step was the establishment of the Army Command with the simultaneous elimination of the Army Command and the Army Command Staff on October 1, 2012. At this point in time (October 2012), the Army comprised around 68,000 active soldiers. The HEER 2011 structure was largely achieved at unit level at the end of 2015. At the same time, the first changes occurred compared to the originally intended ARMY 2011 structure. For example, the planned non-active 414 Tank Battalion was transformed into a German-Dutch active tank battalion and subordinated to the Dutch 43 Mechanised Brigade.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine from February 2022, NATO began expanding its forces in the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In November 2023 a press release from the German Ministry of Defence specified that a new armoured brigade, de:Panzerbrigade 42, would be established in Lithuania. It was planned to comprise Panzer Battalion 203 from Augustdorf, and Panzergrenadier Battalion 122. Initial command elements were planned to start moving in the second quarter of 2024, and a staff to establish the brigade in the fourth quarter of 2024.[1] The overall NATO headquarters supervising this area is Multinational Corps North East. Later the new brigade's planned designation was changed to Panzer Brigade 45 (de:Panzerbrigade 45).
203rd Panzer Battalion (Panzerbataillon 203), in Augustdorf with 44x Leopard 2A7 main battle tanks — will move to Lithuania and join the 45th Panzer Brigade in 2024
130th German/British Bridging Engineer Battalion (Deutsch/Britische Pionierbrückenbataillon 130), in Minden[4][5][6]
12th Panzer Brigade (Panzerbrigade 12), in Cham[10]
Staff Company 12th Panzer Brigade (Stabskompanie Panzerbrigade 12), in Cham
8th Reconnaissance Battalion (Aufklärungsbataillon 8), in Freyung with Fennek reconnaissance vehicles and KZOdrones
8th Mountain Panzer Battalion (Gebirgspanzerbataillon 8), in Pfreimd (Reserve unit, 1 of 3 tank companies is active in peacetime and assigned to the 104th Battalion)
104th Panzer Battalion (Panzerbataillon 104), in Pfreimd with 44x Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks
363rd Panzer Battalion (Panzerbataillon 363), in Hardheim with 44x Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks[11]
122nd Panzergrenadier Battalion (Panzergrenadierbataillon 122), in Oberviechtach with 44x Puma Infantry fighting vehicles — will move to Lithuania and join the 45th Panzer Brigade in 2024
Staff Company 37th Panzergrenadier Brigade (Stabskompanie Panzergrenadierbrigade 37), in Frankenberg
13h Reconnaissance Battalion (Aufklärungsbataillon 13), in Gotha with Fennek reconnaissance vehicles and KZOdrones
212th Panzergrenadier Battalion (Panzergrenadierbataillon 212), in Augustdorf with 44x Puma infantry fighting vehicles
371st Panzergrenadier Battalion (Panzergrenadierbataillon 371), in Marienberg with 44x Marder infantry fighting vehicles
391st Panzergrenadier Battalion (Panzergrenadierbataillon 391), in Bad Salzungen with 44x Marder infantry fighting vehicles
393rd Panzer Battalion (Panzerbataillon 393), in Bad Frankenhausen with 44x Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks
909th Panzergrenadier Battalion (Panzergrenadierbataillon 909), in Marienberg (Reserve unit)
375th Panzer Artillery Battalion (Panzerartilleriebataillon 375), in Weiden in der Oberpfalz
701st Panzer Engineer Battalion (Panzerpionierbataillon 701), in Gera
131st Supply Battalion (Versorgungsbataillon 131), in Bad Frankenhausen
Signal Company 37th Panzergrenadier Brigade (Fernmeldekompanie Panzergrenadierbrigade 37), in Frankenberg
45th Panzer Brigade
45th Panzer Brigade (Panzerbrigade 45), in Rūdninkai Training Area (Lithuania) - brigade will activate in 2025 and initially consist of the 122nd Panzergrenadier Battalion and 203rd Panzer Battalion.[13][14]
Franco-German Brigade
The division also has administrative control of the German units in the Franco-German Brigade:
1× Staff, 1× Special Reconnaissance, 1× Special Commando, 3× Commando, 1× Signal, 1× Support, and 1× Supply company; a Medical Center, a Training Department, and a Development Department
Helicopter Command
Helicopter Command (Kommando Hubschrauber), in Bückeburg[16]
10th Transport Helicopter Regiment (Transporthubschrauberregiment 10), in Faßberg with 40x NH90 transport helicopters
30th Transport Helicopter Regiment (Transporthubschrauberregiment 30), in Niederstetten with 40x NH90 transport helicopters
German Army locations 2020: Units: PanzerPanzergrenadierJägerGebirgsjäger Paratroopers Special Forces Reconnaissance Artillery Engineers Army Aviation Logistics Signals *92 Panzergrenadier 93 Panzer 325 Artillery
Logistics, CBRN defense and Military Police units of the German Armed Forces fall under the Joint Support Service (Streitkräftebasis) of the Bundeswehr. Therefore, the German Army does not have its own units of such type, but is supported by the units of the Joint Support Service as needed.
Joint Medical Service
All medical units of the German Armed Forces fall under the Joint Medical Service of the Bundeswehr (Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr). Therefore, the German Army does not have its own medical units, but is supported by the units of the Joint Medical Service as needed.