![German ATF Dingo vehicles in Afghanistan, 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/German_ATF_Dingo_vehicles_in_Afghanistan%2C_2011.jpg)
The communications systems of the
German armed forces
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
(''Bundeswehr'') include the
strategic communication Strategic communication can mean either communicating a concept, a process, or data that satisfies a long-term strategic goal of an organization by allowing facilitation of advanced planning, or communicating over long distances usually using inter ...
, information systems for the
command and control
Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...
of combined arms forces. It includes military intelligence, weather forecasting, and aviation of the German armed forces.
For communication,
SIGNIT,
Electronic Warfare
Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...
and ELOCAT, Bundeswehr using wired and fiber optic systems, fixed and mobile radio stations and
satellite communications
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. C ...
. While wired and satellite communication paths are operated using digital methods, HF radio communication is still partly analogue and susceptible to eavesdropping.
History
![Thales SEM 93 radio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Thales_SEM_93_radio.jpg)
The Bundeswehr has used a number of different means of communication since it was founded. Some of the first wireless systems were bought from the US-army. The wired field telephone systems initially used was important in the 1960this and 1970this. It is not used anymore today
In the 2000s, a reorientation of communications technology became clear due to the
end of the Cold War
End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to:
End
*In mathematics:
**End (category theory)
**End (topology)
**End (graph theory)
** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous)
**End (endomorphism)
*In sports and games
**End (gridiron football) ...
and the increase in foreign deployments. The fact that the communication technology is inconsistent and partly outdated became particularly clear during the foreign assignments.
Die Zeit
''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles.
History
The ...
wrote in 2018 that when a "paratrooper and his unit wanted to leave the German camp in Kunduz for a patrol, he had more communication electronics than weapons with him."
In the mid-2010s, the Ministry of Defense launched the "Mobile Tactical Communications" (MoTaKo) project to modernize the communication devices for large numbers of troops. New radios were to be developed, built and purchased for 25,000 vehicles and 50,000 soldiers. MoTaKo is one of the
Federal Ministry of Defence
The Federal Ministry of Defence (german: Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, ), abbreviated BMVg, is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The ministry is headquartered at ...
largest armaments projects of this decade. A total of 5.5 billion euros is planned.
In addition to the police, fire brigade and rescue services, the Bundeswehr also used the
digital trunked radio of the so-called "authorities and organizations with security tasks" (BOS) from 2019. The
Bundestag
The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Commons ...
passed a corresponding amendment to the law in April 2019. Individual branches of the Bundeswehr were already participants in BOS radio. With the integration into the existing BOS radio, the Bundeswehr saves money for setting up its own radio infrastructure; The federal government will bear the additional annual costs of 8.3 million euros for the Bundeswehr's national BOS radio.
In 2021 Spiegel reported, that the ''Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement'' (BWB) was having radios from the 1980s replicated for 600 million Euros.Because new devices are not yet ready for use, the Bundeswehr has let the standard radio set of the army, the Thales SEM 80/90 rebuilt again. The radios are still installed in most of Bundeswehr vehicles. The radio was actually developed by the Stuttgart company Standard Elektrik Lorenz AG, which taken over by Thales.
Organisation
Head of all information-technology and electronic
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
is the Command
Cyber and Information Domain Service.
Most of the
signal corps (German: Fernmelder) of Bundeswehr are part of the information-technology command of Bundeswehr (Kommando Informationstechnik der Bundeswehr) in the organizational area of "
Cyber and Information Domain Service
The Cyber and Information Domain Service (german: Cyber- und Informationsraum, ; CIR) is the youngest branch of Germany's military, the Bundeswehr. The decision to form a new military branch was presented by Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen ...
". Around 7.200 soldiers serv in the signal corps.
Army
![Military radio, Fennek Spähwagen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Military_radio%2C_Fennek_Sp%C3%A4hwagen.JPG)
Some of the
signal corps (German: Fernmelder) are a branch in the
German army. Besides this, every
Company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
has its own signal corps specialist within its unit. For long-distance communications for deployments abroad, the HRM-7000 shortwave radio system is often used.
Airforce
German Air Force (Luftwaffe) has its own signal corps specialist within its units. Beside analog
Airband-radios they use the
MR6000A SDR from
Rohde & Schwarz
Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co KG (, ) is an international electronics group specializing in the fields of electronic test equipment, broadcast & media, cybersecurity, radiomonitoring and radiolocation, and radiocommunication. The company provides ...
in
Eurofighter
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leo ...
and helicopters (
Tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
,
MH90 and others).
Navy
The German Navy has its own signal corps specialist within its units and at the ships. For on-board communication the Navy will use
TETRA standard VHF-radios by
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...
up from 2022. TETRA is also used by German civil rescue and
law enforcement agencys.
Tactical networks
* Autoko
*
Link 16
Link 16 is a military tactical data link network used by NATO and nations allowed by the MIDS International Program Office (IPO). Its specification is part of the family of Tactical Data Links.
With Link 16, military aircraft as well as ship ...
(NATO)
*
Tetra
Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA; formerly known as Trans-European Trunked Radio), a European standard for a trunked radio system, is a professional mobile radio and two-way transceiver specification. TETRA was specifically designed for use by go ...
/
Tetrapol
TETRAPOL (Terrestrial Trunked Radio POLice) is a digital professional mobile radio standard, as defined by the Tetrapol Publicly Available Specification (PAS), in use by professional user groups, such as public safety, military, industry and transp ...
(VHF based Trans-European Trunked Radio standard)
* VANBw
Systems and equipment
HF communication
Bundeswehr is using the
HRM-7000 transceiver of Telefunken / Elbit Systems at deployments abroad. The succedor is HRM-9000. In February 2022 the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) decided to buy more HRM 7X00 transceivers and the fitting Kryptomodul TCU 7000E for different platforms.
UHF systems
The main System of Bundeswehr is the
SEM 80/90 analog UHF radio, introduced in the early 80this and rebuild in 2021.
At the Afghanistan
ISAF
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, command ...
deployment of Bundeswehr, platoons often used the US
AN/PRC-117
The AN/PRC-117 translates to "Army/Navy, Portable, Radio, Communication". It is a man-portable, tactical software-defined combat-net radio, manufactured by Harris Corporation, in two different versions:
* AN/PRC-117F Falcon II MBMMR (Multiband M ...
. It is a universally-used
software defined radio
Software-defined radio (SDR) is a radio communication system where components that have been traditionally implemented in analog hardware (e.g. mixers, filters, amplifiers, modulators/demodulators, detector (radio), detectors, etc.) are instead ...
of
US Harris Corporation widely used by the US army. It is used for Phone, tactical short messages and data transceiving a wide frequency range. It can also be used to communicate via US military satellites used as relays.
In 2020 Bundeswehr ordered 370 units worth US$30 million. From 2021 until 2024, it planned to order more so that there is a number of 913 radios, worth 91 million euros.
Satellite communication
SATCOMBw is the Bundeswehr's satellite-based communications system. The system, operated by
Airbus Defense and Space
Airbus Defence and Space is the division of Airbus SE responsible for the development and manufacturing of the corporation's defence and space products, while also providing related services. The division was formed in January 2014 during the ...
, enables the military to make tap-proof telephone calls, video conferences and Internet access worldwide. In the current "Stage 2", which has been in operation since the end of 2011, the system is based on the two communications satellites COMSATBw-1 and 2 with which the ground stations of Bundeswehr and the
German Aerospace Center
The German Aerospace Center (german: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., abbreviated DLR, literally ''German Center for Air- and Space-flight'') is the national center for aerospace, energy and transportation research of Germany ...
(DLR) is linked. The system has an capacity of 3 × 2 Mbit/s
Duplex encrypted
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can decip ...
.
Mobile Terrestical Data Communication TÜtrSys
The "Terrestrial Transmission System" (TÜtrSys) is used for data connections between network nodes in the field. The system enables the simultaneous operation of up to three directional radio links.
Radio equipment
In the 1980s, SEM radios are introduced. SEM means "Sende-Empfänger", German for
transceiver
In radio communication, a transceiver is an electronic device which is a combination of a radio ''trans''mitter and a re''ceiver'', hence the name. It can both transmit and receive radio waves using an antenna, for communication purposes. The ...
.
* ''
SEM 52 SL'' analog Handhold (introduced in 1995)
*
SEM 80/90 analog radio, introduced in the early 80this and rebuild in 2021
*
SEM 93E radio for vehicles from Thales (introduced since August 2001)
*
HRM-7000 shortwave-radio from
Telefunken RACOMS (introduced 1997, 2007 extended by „HRM 7000 Manpack“)
*
MR6000A SDR from
Rohde & Schwarz
Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co KG (, ) is an international electronics group specializing in the fields of electronic test equipment, broadcast & media, cybersecurity, radiomonitoring and radiolocation, and radiocommunication. The company provides ...
(since 2010 in
Eurofighter
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leo ...
and helicopters)
*
PRC-117 from
Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation was an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology services provider that produced wireless equipment, tactical radios, electronic systems, night vision equipment and both terrestrial and spaceb ...
* ''Satcom MK'' is the satellite-communication System: a 4,6-m-Offset-Antenna on a trailer.
* ''
E-LynX E-LynX is a product family of digital military radio equipment ( software defined radios, SDR) from Telefunken Radio Communication Systems GmbH & Co. KG, the German subsidiary of the Israeli Elbit Group. The system is used by several forces like t ...
'' digital military radio equipment from
Telefunken Radio Communication Systems GmbH & Co. KG, the German subsidiary of the Israeli
Elbit Group. Used at a little number in the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
the in a portable and vehicle version at troop, group,
platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
and company level, as well as on board various combat vehicles such as the
SPz PUMA.
References
{{Authority control
Command and control
Communication Systems of Bundeswehr