Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1985-0508-018, Berlin, Wachaufzug

The Land Forces of the National People's Army (german: Landstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee – LaSK), was the ground-based

military branch Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state. Types of branches Unified armed forces The Canadian Armed Forces is the unif ...

of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

(GDR)

National People's Army The National People's Army (german: Nationale Volksarmee, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) a ...

(NPA). The Land Forces Command, located at Geltow, was established on 1 December 1972 as a management body created for the land forces. The NPA itself was created on March 1, 1956, from the (Barracked People's Police).

Organisation

The LaSK had a peacetime organisation since 1972 under the command of the . Its largest formations between 1956 and 1990 were the Military Districts III and V, which generally consisted of three active divisions each, plus training, combat support and logistic units. The 1st Motor Rifle Division was additionally attached to the Military District V, but was designated to leave that formation in wartime to play a key role in the assault on West Berlin. The 6th Motor Rifle Division existed only for two years (1956–1958) as an active formation. While the two districts held the bulk of the GDR's land forces, additional artillery- and support elements, as well as the paratroopers of the 40th Paratrooper Battalion (upgraded to the 40th Air Assault Regiment in 1986) were under direct command of the . In wartime both military districts would form field armies: the 3rd Army in the south, reinforced by the GDR 6th, 10th, and 17th reserve divisions, and the 5th Army in the north, reinforced by the Soviet 94th Guards Motor Rifle Division and the 138th and 221st Separate Tank Regiments from the

GSFG The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupati ...

. Both armies would have been commanded by the Soviet high-command, while the was to focus on the military supply chain, medical services, internal security and assist in the capture of West Berlin.

Order of battle (1980s)

Military District V (North)

The headquarters of the northern district was in Neubrandenburg. 1st Motor Rifle Division (

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of ...

) *1st Motor Rifle Regiment ''" Hans Beimler"'' *2nd Motor Rifle Regiment ''"Arthur Ladwig"'' *3rd Motor Rifle Regiment ''"Paul Hegenbarth"'' *1st ''Panzer'' Regiment ''" Friedrich Wolf"'' *1st Artillery Regiment ''"Rudolf Gypner"'' *1st AA-Missile Regiment ''"Anton Fischer"'' *1st Rocket Detachment ''"Rudi Arndt"'' *1st Heavy Mortar Detachment ''" Hermann Rentzsch"'' *1st Reconnaissance Battalion ''"Dr.

Richard Sorge Richard Sorge (russian: Рихард Густавович Зорге, Rikhard Gustavovich Zorge; 4 October 1895 – 7 November 1944) was a German-Azerbaijani journalist and Soviet military intelligence officer who was active before and during Wo ...

"'' *1st Engineer Battalion ''"Willi Becker"'' *1st Light AT Detachment ''" Willy Sägebrecht"'' *1st Signal Battalion ''"

Bodo Uhse Bodo Uhse (12 March 1904 in Rastatt, Grand Duchy of Baden – 2 July 1963 in Berlin) was a German writer, journalist and political activist. He was recognised as one of the most prominent authors in East Germany. Early years Uhse came from a ...

"'' *1st Logistical Security Battalion ''"Georg Handke"'' *1st Repair Battalion ''"Otto Schliwinski"'' *1st Chemical Defence Battalion ''"Herbert Kittelmann"'' *1st Medical Battalion *1st Replacement Regiment 8th Motor Rifle Division (

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the capital and second-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as of the region of Mecklenburg, after Rostock. It ...

) *27th Motor Rifle Regiment ''"

Hans Kahle Hans Kahle (22 April 1899 – 1 September 1947) was a German journalist, communist, and head of the Volkspolizei in Mecklenburg. Education and career Kahle was born in Berlin-Charlottenburg, the son of a senior official. He attended high school ...

"'' *28th Motor Rifle Regiment ''" Wilhelm Florin"'' *29th Motor Rifle Regiment ''"

Ernst Moritz Arndt Ernst Moritz Arndt (26 December 1769 – 29 January 1860) was a German nationalist historian, writer and poet. Early in his life, he fought for the abolition of serfdom, later against Napoleonic dominance over Germany. Arndt had to flee to Swe ...

"'' *8th ''Panzer'' Regiment ''"Arthur Becker"'' *8th Artillery Regiment ''"

Erich Mühsam Erich Mühsam (6 April 1878 – 10 July 1934) was a German-Jewish antimilitarist anarchist essayist, poet and playwright. He emerged at the end of World War I as one of the leading agitators for a federated Bavarian Soviet Republic, for which h ...

"'' *8th AA-Missile Regiment ''"Willi Schröder"'' *8th Rocket Detachment ''"Hermann Schuldt"'' *8th Heavy Mortar Detachment ''"Mathias Thesen"'' *8th Reconnaissance Battalion ''"Otto Moritz"'' *8th Engineer Battalion ''"

Tudor Vladimirescu Tudor Vladimirescu (; c. 1780 – ) was a Romanian revolutionary hero, the leader of the Wallachian uprising of 1821 and of the Pandur militia. He is also known as Tudor din Vladimiri (''Tudor from Vladimiri'') or, occasionally, as Domnul Tudo ...

"'' *8th Light AT Detachment ''" Heinrich Dollwetzel"'' *8th Signal Battalion ''" Kurt Bürger"'' *8th Logistical Security Battalion ''"Herbert Tschäpe"'' *8th Repair Battalion ''"

Wilhelm Pieck Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck (; 3 January 1876 – 7 September 1960) was a German communist politician who served as the chairman of the Socialist Unity Party from 1946 to 1950 and as president of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 to ...

"'' *8th Chemical Defence Battalion ''" Erich Correns"'' *8th Medical Battalion ''"Hans Rodenberg"'' *8th Replacement Regiment 9th ''Panzer'' Division (

Eggesin Eggesin (; csb, Chëczëno) is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Uecker, 7 km southeast of Ueckermünde, and 42 km northwest of Szczecin. T ...

) *21st ''Panzer'' Regiment ''"Walter Empacher"'' *22nd ''Panzer'' Regiment ''" Soja Kosmodemjanskaja"'' *23rd ''Panzer'' Regiment ''" Julian Marchlewski"'' *9th Motor Rifle Regiment ''"Rudolf Renner"'' *9th Artillery Regiment ''"Hans Fischer"'' *9th AA-Missile Regiment ''"

Rudolf Dölling Rudolf Dölling (4 November 1902 – 3 August 1975) was a politician in Czechoslovakia and in East Germany. He later trained for military service and was made a Major-General in the National People's Army of East Germany. At the end of August ...

"'' *9th Rocket Detachment ''" Otto Nuschk"'' *9th Heavy Mortar Detachment ''"

Friedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert (; 4 February 187128 February 1925) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the first president of Germany from 1919 until his death in office in 1925. Ebert was elected leader of the SPD on t ...

"'' *9th Reconnaissance Battalion ''"Eduard Claudius"'' *9th Engineer Battalion *9th Signal Battalion ''"Adolf Bytzeck"'' *9th Logistical Security Battalion ''"

Robert Stamm Robert Stamm (16 July 1900 – 4 November 1937) was a German politician, a Communist (KPD) member of the Reichstag from Bremen, and a victim of the Nazi régime. Already by the age of 14, Robert Stamm had become involved with the Socialist You ...

"'' *9th Repair Battalion ''" Paul Dessau"'' *9th Chemical Defence Battalion ''"Michael Niederkirchner"'' *9th Medical Battalion ''"

Wolfgang Langhoff Wolfgang Langhoff (6 October 1901 in Berlin, German Empire – 26 August 1966 in Berlin, German Democratic Republic)The Internet Movie Database"Wolfgang Langhoff" Accessed 17 August 2007. was a German theatre, film and television actor and theat ...

"'' *9th Replacement Regiment

Military District III (South)

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1989-1007-031, Berlin, 40

The headquarters of the southern district was in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

. 4th Motor Rifle Division (

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits in ...

) *22nd Motor Rifle Regiment ''"

Thomas Müntzer Thomas Müntzer ( – 27 May 1525) was a German preacher and theologian of the early Reformation whose opposition to both Martin Luther and the Roman Catholic Church led to his open defiance of late-feudal authority in central Germany. Müntzer w ...

"'' *23rd Motor Rifle Regiment ''"

Anton Saefkow Anton Emil Hermann Saefkow (; 22 July 1903 – 18 September 1944) was a German Communist and a resistance fighter against the National Socialist régime. He was arrested in July 1944 and executed on 18 September by guillotine. Early life An ...

"'' *24th Motor Rifle Regiment ''" John Scheer"'' *4th ''Panzer'' Regiment ''"

August Bebel Ferdinand August Bebel (22 February 1840 – 13 August 1913) was a German socialist politician, writer, and orator. He is best remembered as one of the founders of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany (SDAP) in 1869, which in 1875 mer ...

"'' *4th Artillery Regiment ''"

Willi Bredel Willi Bredel (2 May 1901 in Hamburg – 27 October 1964 in East Berlin) was a German writer and president of the DDR Academy of Arts, Berlin. Born in Hamburg, he was a pioneer of socialist realist literature. Life and career Born in to the f ...

"'' *4th AA-Missile Regiment ''"Hermann Danz"'' *4th Rocket Detachment ''" Hugo Gräf"'' *4th Heavy Mortar Detachment ''" Otto Franke"'' *4th Reconnaissance Battalion ''"Wilhelm Girnius"'' *4th Engineer Battalion ''"Walter Kaiser-Gorrish"'' *4th Light AT Detachment ''" Franz Jacob"'' *4th Signal Battalion ''"Wilhelm Liebknecht"'' *4th Logistical Security Battalion ''"Ernst Putz"'' *4th Repair Battalion ''"

Wilhelm Leuschner Wilhelm Leuschner (15 June 1890, in Bayreuth, Bavaria – 29 September 1944, in Berlin-Plötzensee) was a trade unionist and Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic politician. An early opponent of Nazism, he organized underground ...

"'' *4th Chemical Defence Battalion ''" Lothar Bolz"'' *4th Medical Battalion *4th Replacement Regiment 7th ''Panzer'' Division (

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

) *14th ''Panzer'' Regiment ''" Karol Swierczewski"'' *15th ''Panzer'' Regiment ''"Paul Hornick"'' *16th ''Panzer'' Regiment ''"

Leo Jogiches Leon "Leo" Jogiches (Russian: Лев "Лео" Йогихес; 17 July 1867 – 10 March 1919), also commonly known by the party name Jan Tyszka, was a Polish Marxist revolutionary and politician, active in Poland, Lithuania, and Germany. Jogiche ...

"'' *7th Motor Rifle Regiment ''"

Max Roscher Max Roscher (22 July 1888 – 28 August 1940) was a German Communist Party of Germany, Communist politician who briefly served as a member of the Reichstag (Weimar Republic), Reichstag and, on a regional level, was a member of the Saxony Landtag ...

"'' *7th Artillery Regiment ''"Albert Hößler"'' *7th AA-Missile Regiment ''"Paul Rockstroh"'' *7th Rocket Detachment ''" Alfred Kurella"'' *7th Heavy Mortar Detachment ''" Ernst Schneller"'' *7th Reconnaissance Battalion ''" Ludvik Svoboda"'' *7th Engineer Battalion ''"Arthur Thiermann"'' *7th Signal Battalion ''"Egon Dreger"'' *7th Logistical Security Battalion ''" Kurt Schlosser"'' *7th Repair Battalion ''"Gustav Schneider"'' *7th Chemical Defence Battalion ''"Johann Eggert"'' *7th Medical Battalion *7th Replacement Regiment 11th Motor Rifle Division (

Halle Halle may refer to: Places Germany * Halle (Saale), also called Halle an der Saale, a city in Saxony-Anhalt ** Halle (region), a former administrative region in Saxony-Anhalt ** Bezirk Halle, a former administrative division of East Germany ** Hal ...

) *16th Motor Rifle Regiment ''"

Robert Uhrig Robert Uhrig (; March 8, 1903 – August 21, 1944) was a German communist and resistance fighter against National Socialism. Background Born in Leipzig, the son of a metalworker, Uhrig grew up to become a journeyman toolmaker. He joined the ...

"'' *17th Motor Rifle Regiment ''"Fritz Weineck"'' *18th Motor Rifle Regiment ''"Otto Schlag"'' *11th ''Panzer'' Regiment ''"Otto Buchwitz"'' *11th Artillery Regiment ''" Wilhelm Koenen"'' *11th AA-Missile Regiment ''"Georg Stöber"'' *11th Rocket Detachment ''"Magnus Poser"'' *11th Heavy Mortar Detachment ''"

Otto Gotsche Otto Gotsche (3 July 1904 – 17 December 1985) was a German political activist (KPD) and writer. After 1945 he moved into mainstream politics. During the Nazi years he worked effectively in the country's resistance movement. Having surviv ...

"'' *11th Reconnaissance Battalion ''"Heinrich Brandes"'' *11th Engineer Battalion ''" Willi Gall"'' *11th Light AT Detachment ''"Hermann Vogt"'' *11th Signal Battalion ''"Otto Brosowski"'' *11th Logistical Security Battalion ''" Bernhard Koenen"'' *11th Repair Battalion ''"Albert Funk"'' *11th Chemical Defence Battalion ''"Erwin Hörnle"'' *11th Medical Battalion ''" Louis Kugelmann"'' *11th Replacement Regiment

Second line divisions

In the event of a full-scale mobilisation, the six regular divisions of the NVA would have been supplemented by three mobilisation divisions and two reserve divisions. All five divisions would be mobilised on M+2. The cadre of each mobilisation/reserve division remained on hand as the regular staff of training centers/non-commissioned officer (NCO) schools. The five second line divisions were the 6th Motor Rifle Division (Königswartha), the 10th Motor Rifle Division (Ronneburg), the 17th Motor Rifle Division (Petersroda), the 19th Motor Rifle Division (Wulkow, which was not based on a training centre), and the 20th Motor Rifle Division (Bredenfelde). Mobilisation Divisions – command of the Military District III of land forces (

) 6th Motor Rifle Division ( Königswartha) T-55A at Panzermuseum Munster

*11th Motor Rifle Regiment *12th Motor Rifle Regiment *13th Motor Rifle Regiment *6th ''Panzer'' Regiment *6th Artillery Regiment *6th AA-Missile Regiment *6th Rocket Detachment *6th Heavy Mortar Detachment *6th Reconnaissance Battalion *6th Engineer Battalion *6th Light AT Detachment *6th Signal Battalion *6th Logistical Security Battalion *6th Repair Battalion *6th Chemical Defence Battalion *6th Medical Battalion *6th Replacement Regiment 10th Motor Rifle Division ( Ronneburg) Luna m frog 7 hameenlinna 1

*14th Motor Rifle Regiment *15th Motor Rifle Regiment *16th Motor Rifle Regiment *10th ''Panzer'' Regiment *10th Artillery Regiment *10th AA-Missile Regiment *10th Rocket Detachment *10th Heavy Mortar Detachment *10th Reconnaissance Battalion *10th Engineer Battalion *10th Light AT Detachment *10th Signal Battalion *10th Logistical Security Battalion *10th Repair Battalion *10th Chemical Defence Battalion *10th Medical Battalion *10th Replacement Regiment 17th Motor Rifle Division ( Petersroda) *41st Motor Rifle Regiment *42nd Motor Rifle Regiment *43rd Motor Rifle Regiment *17th ''Panzer'' Regiment *17th Artillery Regiment *17th AA-Missile Regiment *17th Rocket Detachment *17th Heavy Mortar Detachment *17th Reconnaissance Battalion *17th Engineer Battalion *17th Light AT Detachment *17th Signal Battalion *17th Logistical Security Battalion *17th Repair Battalion *17th Chemical Defence Battalion *17th Medical Battalion *17th Replacement Regiment Reserve divisions – command of the Military District V of land forces ( Neubrandenburg) 19th Motor Rifle Division ( Wulkow) *51st Motor Rifle Regiment *52nd Motor Rifle Regiment *53rd Motor Rifle Regiment *19th ''Panzer'' Regiment *19th Artillery Regiment *19th AA-Missile Regiment *19th Rocket Detachment *19th Heavy Mortar Detachment *19th Reconnaissance Battalion *19th Engineer Battalion *19th Light AT Detachment *19th Signal Battalion *19th Logistical Security Battalion *19th Repair Battalion *19th Chemical Defence Battalion *19th Medical Battalion *19th Replacement Regiment 20th Motor Rifle Division ( Bredenfelde) *33rd Motor Rifle Regiment *34th Motor Rifle Regiment *35th Motor Rifle Regiment *20th ''Panzer'' Regiment *20th Artillery Regiment *20th AA-Missile Regiment *20th Rocket Detachment *20th Heavy Mortar Detachment *20th Reconnaissance Battalion *20th Engineer Battalion *20th Light AT Detachment *20th Signal Battalion *20th Logistical Security Battalion *20th Repair Battalion *20th Chemical Defence Battalion *20th Medical Battalion *20th Replacement Regiment

Aviation units

* Kampfhubschraubergeschwader 3 (KHG-3) " Ferdinand von Schill",

Cottbus Cottbus (; Lower Sorbian: ''Chóśebuz'' ; Polish: Chociebuż) is a university city and the second-largest city in Brandenburg, Germany. Situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree, Cottbus is also a major railway junction with exte ...

** I. Hubschrauberstaffel/KHG-3 (I.HS/KHG-3), Mi-8TB ** II. Hubschrauberstaffel/KHG-3 (II.HS/KHG-3), Mi-24D *** KHG-3 maintained several detachements: **** FTK-512 at Neuhaus-Steinheid **** FTK-514 at

Kreuzebra Kreuzebra is a village and a former municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the town Dingelstädt Dingelstädt is a town in the district of Eichsfeld in Thuringia, Germany. It is situ ...

**** GR-9 at

Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).

**Hubschrauberstaffel der Führung und Aufklarung 3 (HSFA-3), Mi-2, Mi-8PS, Mi-9 * Kampfhubschraubergeschwader 5 (KHG-5) " Adolf von Lützow", Basepohl ** I. Hubschrauberstaffel/KHG-5 (I.HS/KHG-5), Mi-8TB ** II. Hubschrauberstaffel/KHG-5 (II.HS/KHG-5), Mi-24D ** III. Hubschrauberstaffel/KHG-5 (III.HS/KHG-5), Mi-24P *** KHG-5 maintained several detachements: **** FTK-432 at Gross Molzahn **** FTK-613 at

Athenstedt Athenstedt is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Halberstadt Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Sax ...

**** FTK-614 at Altensalzwedel ** Hubschrauberstaffel der Führung und Aufklarung 5 (HSFA-5), Mi-2, Mi-8PS. Mi-9

Other units

The also contained some specially trained units – like the 40th Paratrooper Battalion (later the 40th Air Assault Regiment "Willi Sänger"). The structure and equipment was mostly of Soviet design, and the NVA operated in close collaboration with the

Group of Soviet Forces in Germany The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupa ...

. There were also reports of a special NVA diversionary battalion in south Germany equipped with M-48s and M-113s, to cause confusion amongst

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

forces (emulating and improving on the example of

Otto Skorzeny Otto Johann Anton Skorzeny (12 June 1908 – 5 July 1975) was an Austrian-born German SS-''Obersturmbannführer'' (lieutenant colonel) in the Waffen-SS during World War II. During the war, he was involved in a number of operations, including t ...

's 150th ''Panzer'' Brigade during the

Ardennes Offensive The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war i ...

). However more recent reports throw doubt on the existence of any such unit.Steven J. Zaloga and James Loop, Soviet Bloc Elite Forces, Osprey Publishing, 1998, had the initial report of the battalion, more recent critical commentary is a
Tanknet > NVA Special Units
/ref>

Types of units

Divisions * (motorised/mechanised infantry division) * (tank/armoured division) Regiments * (artillery regiment) * (tank/armoured regiment) * (replacement regiment) * (AA-missile regiment) * (motor rifle/mechanised infantry regiment) Battalions * (reconnaissance battalion) * (chemical defence battalion) * (logistical security battalion) * (repair battalion) * (signal battalion) * (engineer battalion) * (medical battalion) Detachments * (light AT detachment) * (rocket detachment) * (heavy mortar detachment)

Equipment

Small Arms: Armoured Vehicles:

Field artillery and rocket artillery

Rocket systems

9K52 Luna-M The 9K52 ''Luna-M'' (russian: Луна; en, moon, NATO reporting name FROG-7) is a Soviet short-range artillery rocket system which fires unguided and spin-stabilized 9M21 rockets. It was originally developed in the 1960s to provide divisiona ...

R-17 Elbrus The R-17 Elbrus, GRAU index 9K72 is a tactical ballistic missile, initially developed by the Soviet Union. It is also known by its NATO reporting name SS-1C Scud-B. It is one of several Soviet missiles to carry the reporting name Scud; the most p ...

OTR-21 Tochka OTR-21 ''Tochka'' (russian: оперативно-тактический ракетный комплекс (ОТР) «Точка» (" point"); en, Tactical Operational Missile Complex "Tochka") is a Soviet tactical ballistic missile. Its GRAU des ...

* OTR-23 Oka *

BM-21 Grad The BM-21 "Grad" (russian: БМ-21 "Град", lit= hail) is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first com ...

RM-70 The RM-70 (''Raketomet vzor 1970'') multiple rocket launcher is a Czechoslovak Army version and heavier variant of the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, providing enhanced performance over its parent area-saturation rocket artillery system tha ...

Towed artillery

100 mm anti-tank gun T-12 2A19 or T-12 was a revolutionary Soviet 100-mm anti-tank gun. It was the first (anti-) tank gun to adopt a smoothbore barrel, and to introduce modern armor piercing shot, like the APFSDS. It uses long projectiles that are more powerful than its ...

122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) The 122-mm howitzer D-30 (GRAU index 2A18) is a Soviet howitzer that first entered service in 1960. It is a robust piece that focuses on the essential features of a towed field gun suitable for all conditions. The D-30 has a maximum range of 15.4 ...

152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20) The 152 mm gun-howitzer M1955, also known as the D-20, (russian: 152-мм пушка-гаубица Д-20 обр. 1955 г.) is a manually loaded, towed 152 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. It was fir ...

130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46) The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 (russian: 130-мм пушка M-46) is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954. For many years, the M-46 ...

85 mm divisional gun D-44 The 85-mm divisional gun D-44 (russian: 85-мм дивизионная пушка Д-44) was a Soviet divisional 85-mm calibre field artillery gun used in the last action of World War II. It was designed as the replacement for the 76 mm division ...

Self-propelled artillery

2S1 Gvozdika The 2S1 ''Gvozdika'' (russian: link=no, 2С1 «Гвоздика», " Carnation") is a Soviet self-propelled howitzer based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mounting a 122 mm 2A18 howitzer. "2S1" is its GRAU designation. An alternative ...

2S3 Akatsiya The SO-152 (Russian: СО-152) is a Soviet 152.4 mm self-propelled gun developed in 1968, as a response to the American 155 mm M109 howitzer. Development began in 1967, according to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Sovie ...

Mortars

* 82-BM-37 *

2S12 Sani The 2S12 "Sani" ("sleigh") (GRAU index 2S12) is a 120 mm heavy mortar system used by the Russian Army and other former Soviet states. First fielded in 1981, the 2S12 is a continued development on the towed mortars first used in World War I ...

120-PM-43 mortar The M1943 Mortar also known as the SAMOVAR is a Soviet 120 millimeter calibre smoothbore mortar first introduced in 1943 as a modified version of the M1938 mortar. It virtually replaced the M1938 as the standard weapon for mortar batteries in all ...

Air defense artillery systems

Mobile missile

2K11 Krug The 2K11 ''Krug'' (russian: 2К11 «Круг»; en, circle) is a Soviet and now Russian medium-range, medium-to-high altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. The system was designed by NPO Novator and produced by Kalinin Machine Building ...

2K12 Kub The 2K12 ''"Kub"'' (russian: 2К12 "Куб"; en, cube) (NATO reporting name: SA-6 "Gainful") mobile surface-to-air missile system is a Soviet low to medium-level air defence system designed to protect ground forces from air attack. "2К12" is ...

9K31 Strela-1 The 9K31 ''Strela-1'' (russian: 9К31 «Стрела-1»; en, arrow) is a highly mobile, short-range, low altitude infra-red guided surface-to-air missile system. Originally developed by the Soviet Union under the GRAU designation 9K31, it is ...

BRDM-2 The BRDM-2 (''Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina'', Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина, literally "Combat Reconnaissance/Patrol Vehicle") is an amphibious armoured scout car used by states that we ...

chassis *

9K35 Strela-10 The 9K35 ''Strela-10'' (russian: 9К35 «Стрела-10»; en, arrow) is a Soviet highly mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile system. It is visually aimed, and utilizes optical/ infrared-guidance. The system is primarily intended to engag ...

MT-LB The MT-LB (russian: Многоцелевой Тягач Легкий Бронированный, translit=Mnogotselevoy tyagach legky bronirovanny, literally "multi-purpose towing vehicle light armored") is a Soviet multi-purpose, fully amphibi ...

chassis *

9K33 Osa The 9K33 ''Osa'' (, literally "wasp"; NATO reporting name SA-8 ''Gecko'') is a highly mobile, low-altitude, short-range tactical surface-to-air missile system developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and fielded in 1972. Its export version na ...

Mobile self-propelled AA guns

ZSU-23-4 Shilka The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armored Soviet self-propelled, radar-guided anti-aircraft weapon system (SPAAG). Etymology The acronym "ZSU" stands for ''Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka'' (russian: Зенитная Самоходная Ус� ...

ZSU-57-2 The ZSU-57-2 Ob'yekt 500 is a Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG), armed with two 57 mm autocannons. 'ZSU' stands for '' Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka'' (russian: link=no, Зенитная Самоходная Установк ...

Towed anti-aircraft gun

ZPU The ZPU (, meaning "anti-aircraft machine gun mount") is a family of towed anti-aircraft gun based on the Soviet 14.5×114mm KPV heavy machine gun. It entered service with the Soviet Union in 1949 and is used by over 50 countries worldwide. Qu ...

ZU-23-2 The ZU-23-2, also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23×152mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon. ZU stands for ''Zenitnaya Ustanovka'' (Russian: Зенитная Установка) – anti-aircraft mount. The GRAU index is 2A13. Developm ...

* S-60

References

External links

NVA Forum
National People's Army National People's Army (East Germany) Disbanded armies Military units and formations established in 1956 Military units and formations disestablished in 1990