The FSLK200 (''Fernspählehrkompanie 200'') was a special operations capable forces unit specialized special reconnaissance of the
German Armed Forces
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: German Army, ...
(''Bundeswehr''). It has also been described as a deep reconnaissance company.
''Fernspäher'' is an old term for elite reconnaissance troopers, relating to the word ''fern'' (long range, distance) and the word ''Späher'' (scout). Thus, the ''Fernspäher'' are specially trained and equipped reconnaissance soldiers who cover great distances to gather intelligence and fulfill military tasks of high importance.
In October 2011 the
Federal Ministry of Defence (''Bundesministerium der Verteidigung'') announced that the FSLK200 would be deactivated, and their functions integrated into the reconnaissance units of the
EGB Forces of the
Rapid Forces Division
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.
Its headquarters staff is based at Stadtallendorf. It was c ...
, a process that was to be completed by the year 2014.
Task
The FSLK200 was tasked with the gathering of critical intelligence deep behind enemy lines, whereby primarily, important strategic targets were to be recced, to enable or support a joint strike measure.
Hereby, the company was to adopt a supporting role for other
Special Forces
Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
branches of the
German Armed Forces
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: German Army, ...
. Soldiers in service with the FSLK200 were qualified, to conduct special operations stationary or mobile, at both night and in daytime, and to provide extended documentation and analysis of gathered intelligence through the means of optronic reconnaissance.
The syllable ''-lehr'' within ''Fernspäh-lehr-kompanie 200'' designated yet another very special task of this company. It was the training, evaluation and demonstrations unit (''Lehrtruppenteil'') within the FSLK200. As such, it supervised and conducted special forces training for other specialised branches within the German Armed Forces. Secondly, in peace time, it was tasked with the field evaluation and demonstration of new tactics and equipment. The clearly offensive role of this unit, regained and attracted further interest again, only shortly after
September 11, 2001
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
and during the emerging
Global War on Terrorism (GWOT).
History
Until the activation of the German Army's ''
Kommando Spezialkräfte
The Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) (, alternatively Special Operations Forces Command (SOFCOM)) is a unified combatant command and a large brigade-level unit of the German Army (Heer) designated to perform Covert operation, covert operations, ca ...
'' (Special Forces Command) in late 1996, the land arm of the
Bundeswehr
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...
had three Fernspäher Companies (100, 200 and 300) with one being assigned to each
Corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...
. The first unit of this kind was trained and commanded by Major Konrad Rittmeyer. Former German armies did not know the concept of long range reconnaissance. Rittmeyer studied the Finnish Army's
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
long-range patrol teams that conducted reconnaissance, sabotage, and prisoner capture missions as far as 300 km deep into Soviet territory, surviving for days on carried supplies or weeks on parachute dropped resupplies; furthermore he drew on the special skills of German ''
Gebirgsjäger
''Gebirgsjäger'' () is a German language, German military term for light infantry trained in mountain warfare. Currently used in the militaries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the term includes the word ''Jäger (military), jäger'', anot ...
'' (mountain infantry), ''
Fallschirmjäger
The () were the airborne forces branch of the Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. They were commanded by Kurt Student, the Luftwaffe's second-in-comman ...
'' (parachute infantry), and the special forces of Germany's
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
allies.
Rittmeyer's initial Fernspäh company, back in the day simply designated as ''Lehrgruppe R'' (''Training Group R''), quickly reflagged as ''Fernspählehrkompanie 200''. His concept proved prolific enough to allow the creation of a Fernspäher school in
Weingarten Weingarten may refer to:
Places
* Weingarten, Württemberg, Germany, a town
** Weingarten Abbey
* Weingarten (Baden), Germany, a municipality
* Weingarten, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, a municipality
* Weingarten, Thuringia, Germany, a village an ...
,
South Germany
Southern Germany (, ) is a region of Germany that includes the areas in which Upper German dialects are spoken, which includes the stem duchies of Bavaria and Swabia in present-day Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and the southern portion of Hesse ...
. This institution would eventually reflag as the International Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol School (ILRRPS) and later move to
Pfullendorf
Pfullendorf is a small town of about 13,000 inhabitants located north of Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire for nearly 600 years.
The town is in the district of Sigmaringen south o ...
. From May 2001 it was called the International Special Training Center (ISTC).
ILRRPS provided training for comparable units from
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
,
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Initially the British
Special Air Service
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
provided the Commanding Officer
and some instructors for ILRRPS however they later withdrew from participation.
[ When the Special Forces Command was activated in 1996, many of the ranks were filled with personnel from ''Fernspähkompanie 100'' and ''Fernspähkompanie 300'' which disbanded at last.
]
Chain of command
The FSLK200 had answered directly to the Special Operations Division (''Division Spezielle Operationen'') of the German Armed Forces
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: German Army, ...
and was later a part of the newly activated branch of army reconnaissance troops (''Heeresaufklärungstruppe''). Prior to the year 2007, the long range reconnaissance branch of service (''Fernspähtruppe'') was an independently acting formation within the German Armed Forces
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: German Army, ...
. Their crest and beret insignia displayed an eagle, as the most common symbol of all airborne qualified troops, with a set of lightning bolts in its claws, diving out of the sky, in front of a pair of crossed lances, which are the traditional insignia of German cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...
forces.
Structure
The FSLK 200 consists of four SR platoon
A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
s, an additional special applications SR platoon (covering the technical aspects of intelligence gathering as well as analysis of gathered data), a special applications maintenance group, a special applications support group, two specialized medical squads and a specialized military intelligence platoon
A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
. The overall-strength amounts to more than 220 troops.
* ''Fernspählehrkompanie 200''
** ''Kompanieführung'' (Company headquarters)
** ''1. Fernspähzug'' (1st SR platoon)
** ''2. Fernspähzug'' (2nd SR platoon)
** ''3. Fernspähzug'' (3rd SR platoon)
** ''4. Fernspähzug'' (4th SR platoon)
** ''Fernspähspezialzug'' (Special applications SR platoon)
** ''Feldnachrichtenzug'' (Military intelligence platoon)
** ''Versorgungsgruppe Fernspäh'' (Special applications support group)
** ''Instandsetzungsgruppe Fernspäh'' (Special applications maintenance group)
** 2× ''Sanitätstrupp Fernspäh'' (Specialized medical squad)
In October 2011 the German ministry of defence announced that FSLK 200 will be deactivated and its elements integrated into the KSK by 2014.
Missions
As with all branches of the German Armed Forces
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: German Army, ...
, FSLK200 had needed the approval of the German Bundestag
The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the lower house of the German federal parliament. It is the only constitutional body of the federation directly elected by the German people. The Bundestag was established by Title III of the Basic Law for ...
, in order to officially participate in foreign deployments. This permission can however be obtained subsequently, if the situation would have required immediate action. Details concerning the former or present activity and operations of the FSLK200 are widely undisclosed. Today, it is known that members of the FSLK200 (''Fernspäher'') carried out missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, during the Yugoslav Wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
, and later during Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
. Additionally, members of the FSLK200 (''Fernspäher'') were shipped to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
in the year 2006, as being part of the EUFOR RD Congo deployment.
Weaponry
The sophisticated arsenal of the FSLK200 was mainly based upon standard issue weaponry and small arms available to the German Armed Forces
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: German Army, ...
(''Bundeswehr''), yet with special additions that were not readily available to regular forces. The standard infantry weapons, with no exception for the FSLK200, were either the Heckler & Koch G36
The Heckler & Koch G36 (Gewehr 36) is an assault rifle
An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, intermediate-rifle cartridge and a Magazine (firearms), detachable magazine.C. Taylor, ''The Fighting Ri ...
(''G36K/AG36'') assault rifle, or the Heckler & Koch G3
The Heckler & Koch G3 () is a selective fire, select-fire battle rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO developed in the 1950s by the German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch, in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned firearms manufacturer CE ...
battle rifle, followed by the Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 (, ) is a submachine gun developed in the 1960s by German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. It uses a similar modular design to the Heckler & Koch G3, and has over 100 variants and clones, including selective fire, Se ...
submachine gun in several variants. Heavy weapons have included the Heckler & Koch HK21
The HK21 is a German 7.62×51mm NATO, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, developed in 1961 by small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch and based on the Heckler & Koch G3, G3 battle rifle. The weapon is in use with the armed forces of several ...
(G8/G8A1) general purpose machine gun, the Rheinmetall MG3
The MG 3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The weapon's design is derived from the World War II era MG 42 that fired the 7.92×57mm Mauser round.
The MG 3 was standardized in the late 1950s ...
general purpose machine gun, and the AWM (G22) and AW50 (G24) sniper rifles produced by Accuracy International
Accuracy International is a British firearms manufacturer based in Portsmouth, England. The company specializes in sniper rifles, anti-materiel rifles and civilian competition rifles.
The company was founded in 1978 by a group of individual ...
. Sidearms have included the Heckler & Koch P12 and Heckler & Koch P8 universal self-loading pistols.
References
External links
Official Website of FSLK200
via the Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by Internet Archive, an American nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. Launched for public access in 2001, the service allows users to go "back in ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernspahlehrkompanie 200
Cold War military history of Germany
Military units and formations established in 1962
Military units and formations disestablished in 2014
Special forces of Germany
Units and formations of the German Army (1956–present)
Army reconnaissance units and formations
Special forces of West Germany