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Two Eurofighter combat aircraft are parked side by side at an airfield. — Bundeswehr/Tom Twardy

Alliance cooperation

British and German Fighter Pilots train for worst case

Germany and the United Kingdom jointly protect European airspace with Quick Reaction Alert units. What mindset does a fighter pilot need?

16.01.2026 NATO

They see everything
The NISRFNATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force: NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Early Warning Centre

The ISRIntelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force uses unmanned aircraft equipped with radar technology, and data from across to observe what is happening at the Alliance's borders.

26.11.2025 News

New naval aircraft
P-8A Poseidon – Training in the USA

The first new maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft will arrive in Germany this year. The naval aviators have already started training how to …

31.07.2025 News

Public ceremony in Vilnius
45 Armoured Brigade receives colours at activation ceremony

The Army stands by its promises: The Bundeswehr celebrates the first hours of 45 Armoured Brigade with the Lithuanian people in Vilnius.

22.05.2025 News

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12 Nov 1955
The Bundeswehr is founded
5 May 1955
The Federal Republic of Germany joins NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization
Since 1959
Operations conducted in more than 50 countries

An elderly man and two soldiers stand together in front of an Airbus A400M

From 1955 to the Present Day

History

The history of the Bundeswehr has been shaped by radical political change, technical innovation and ever new security challenges.

Zwei Soldaten auf einem Waffenträger Wiesel im Gelände, im Hintergrund fahren zwei Panzer

Why do we need armed forces?

Mission and Tasks

Since the end of the Cold War, the demands on German security and defence policy have fundamentally changed.

The Armed Forces and the civilian organisational elements

Organization

The Bundeswehr is a unique large-scale organisation. It has more than 260,000 personnel, including women and men in uniform as well as civilian staff.