German Navy

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This article is about the navy of modern Germany. For other uses, see German Navy (disambiguation).

German Navy
Marine
Founded2 January 1956; 69 years ago (1956-01-02)
Country Germany
TypeNavy
Size15,531 personnel (August 2024)[1]
65 ships
56 aircraft
Part ofBundeswehr
Headquarters of the German NavyRostock (Navy Command)
Motto(s)Wir. Dienen. Deutschland.
(We. Serve. Germany.)
March"Gruß an Kiel [de]"
Anniversaries14 June
Engagements
Websitemarine.de
Commanders
Inspector of the NavyVice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack
Deputy Inspector of the NavyVice Admiral Rainer Brinkmann
Chief of StaffRear Admiral Frank Martin Lenski [de]
Notable
commanders
Insignia
Ensign
German Navy
Deutsche Marine
German Naval Ensign
Components
Command
Equipment
History and traditions
Awards, decorations, and badges

The German Navy (German: Deutsche Marine, pronounced [ˈdɔʏtʃə maˈʁiːnə] ⓘ) is part of the unified Bundeswehr (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the Bundesmarine (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when Deutsche Marine (German Navy) became the official name with respect to the 1990 incorporation of the East German Volksmarine (People's Navy). It is deeply integrated into the NATO alliance. Its primary mission is protection of Germany's territorial waters and maritime infrastructure as well as sea lines of communication. Apart from this, the German Navy participates in peacekeeping operations, and renders humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It also participates in anti-piracy operations.[2]

History

Further information: Naval history of World War II

German Naval history has its roots in the naval history of the Holy Roman Empire, to which the Dutch Navy and even the Spanish Navy once belonged. Proper German language early maritime history is represented by the Hanseatic League and the Brandenburg Navy, later Prussian Navy.

The modern German Navy traces its roots back to the

Frankfurt Parliament
, the Reichsflotte's brief existence ended with the failure of the revolution and it was disbanded on 2 April 1852; thus, the modern day navy celebrates its birthday on 14 June.

The small Prussian Navy evolved in 1867 into the North German Federal Navy, which was mainly for coast defence. It became the Imperial German Navy in 1871. From 1919 to 1935, only a small Reichsmarine was permitted. Under Nazi Germany, it was transformed into the Kriegsmarine, which was disbanded in 1945 after the end of World War II in Europe.

A sailor of the West German navy during the 1970s

Between May 1945 and 1956, the German Mine Sweeping Administration and its successor organizations, made up of former Kriegsmarine members, became something of a transition stage for the German navy, allowing the future Marine to draw on recently experienced personnel upon its formation. Also, from 1949 to 1952 the United States Navy maintained the Naval Historical Team in Bremerhaven. This group of former Kriegsmarine officers acting as historical and tactical consultants to the Americans, was significant in establishing a German element in the NATO senior naval staff. In 1956, with West Germany's accession to NATO, the Bundesmarine (Federal Navy), as the navy was known colloquially, was formally established. In the same year the East German Volkspolizei See (literally People's Police Sea) became the Volksmarine (People's Navy). During the Cold War all of the German Navy's combat vessels were assigned to NATO's Allied Forces Baltic Approaches's naval command NAVBALTAP.

With the accession of former East Germany's states to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990 the Volksmarine along with the whole National People's Army became part of the Bundeswehr. Since 1995 the name German Navy is used in international context, while the official name since 1956 remains Marine without any additions. As of August 2024, the strength of the navy is 15,531 men and women.[1]

A number of naval forces have operated in different periods. See

Current operations

German warships permanently participate in all four NATO Maritime Groups. The German Navy is also engaged in operations against international terrorism such as Operation Enduring Freedom and NATO Operation Active Endeavour.

Presently the largest operation the German Navy is participating in is

fast attack craft, and two auxiliary vessels. The naval component of UNIFIL has been under German command.[3]

The navy operates a number of development and testing installations as part of an inter-service and international network. Among these is the Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters (COE CSW), an affiliated centre of Allied Command Transformation. The COE CSW was established in April 2007 and officially accredited by NATO on 26 May 2009.[4] It is co-located with the staff of the German Flotilla 1 in Kiel whose Commander is double-hatted as Director, COE CSW.

Equipment

Ships and submarines

See also: List of active German Navy ships
A Baden-Württemberg-class frigate in Wilhelmshaven in April 2017

In total, there are about

submarines, 11 replenishment ships and 20 miscellaneous auxiliary vessels. The displacement of the navy is 220,000 tonnes
.

Ships of the German Navy include:

In addition, the German Navy and the Royal Danish Navy are in cooperation in the "Ark Project". This agreement made the Ark Project responsible for the strategic sealift of German armed forces where the full-time charter of three roll-on-roll-off cargo and troop ships are ready for deployments. In addition, these ships are also kept available for the use of the other European NATO countries. The three vessels have a combined displacement of 60,000 tonnes.[7][8] Including these ships, the total ships' displacement available to the Deutsche Marine is 280,000 tonnes.

Procurement of joint support ships (either two JSS800 for an amphibious group of 800 soldiers, or three smaller JSS400), was planned during the 1995–2010 period but the programme appears now to have been abandoned, not having been mentioned in two recent defence reviews. The larger ships would have been tasked for strategic troop transport and amphibious operations, and were to displace 27,000 to 30,000 tons for 800 soldiers.[9]

Aircraft

See also: Marineflieger

The naval air arm of the German Navy is called the Marinefliegerkommando. The Marinefliegerkommando operates 56 aircraft, in May 2021 it was announced that the German Navy intended to replace the P-3C aircraft with Boeing P-8 Poseidon MPA aircraft through a FMS agreement from 2025 onwards.[10]

Structure

Westland WG-13 Super Lynx Mk88a of the German Navy
P8 pistol for the remainder of his team as they board a local cargo hold by fast rope to conduct a search of the vessel.
Mürwik Naval School

The German Navy is commanded by the Inspector of the Navy (Inspekteur der Marine) supported by the Navy Command (Marinekommando) in Rostock.

Formations

Ranks

Main article:
Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr

Officers

NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1
 German Navy[11]
Admiral Vize­admiral Konter­admiral
Flottillen­admiral
Kapitän zur See
 		Fregatten­kapitän Korvetten­kapitän Stabskapitän­leutnant Kapitän­leutnant Oberleutnant
zur See 		Leutnant
zur See

Petty officers and enlisted seamen

NATO code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
 German Navy[11]
 No insignia
Oberstabs­bootsmann Stabs­bootsmann Haupt­bootsmann Ober­bootsmann Bootsmann Obermaat Maat Stabskorporal Korporal Oberstabs­gefreiter Stabs­gefreiter
Haupt­gefreiter
 		Ober­gefreiter Gefreiter Matrose
 German Navy
(Officer designate)
Oberfähnrich zur See Fähnrich zur See Seekadett

Radio and communication stations

Future developments

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Wie gross ist die Bundeswehr?". Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Marine". www.bundeswehr.de (in German). 21 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Bilanz und Ausblick". Archived from the original on 1 January 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  4. ^ Deutsche Marine – press release: Neues Nato-Expertenzentrum an der Kieler Förde nimmt Fahrt auf; Faermann, 2009
  5. ^ "Germany's K130 Batch 2 Corvette Program 2 Years Behind Schedule". 17 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Record order: thyssenkrupp Marine Systems granted order expansion in the 212CD program". Thyssenkrupp Marine systems. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  7. ^ "The ships chartered for the ARK Project". Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  8. ^ "The ARK project". Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  9. ^ "Inspekteur der Marine : Zielvorstellung Marine 2025+" (PDF). Geopowers.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  10. ^ Seidenstuecker, Hans. "Germany backs 1.4 bln euro purchase of Boeing maritime patrol aircraft – source". Reuters. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Dienstgradabzeichen Marine". bundeswehr.de (in German). Bundeswehr. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Chinook-Helikopter, Flottendienstboote, luftlandefähige Fahrzeuge für die Truppe". www.bmvg.de (in German). 13 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  13. ^ damen.com – DAMEN AND BLOHM + VOSS SELECTED FOR CONSTRUCTION GERMAN MKS180 FRIGATES (14 January 2020).
  14. ^ Press releases. "Ceremony for the major submarine contracts between Norway and Germany". thyssenkrupp. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Norway and Germany sign agreements for submarine and missile acquisition". Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  16. ^ "NTKMS To Build Six Type 212CD Submarines For German And Norwegian Navies". navalnews.com (TKMS press release). Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  17. ISSN 0174-4909. Archived
    from the original on 15 October 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  18. ^ "Hubschrauberdrohne Skeldar V-200 für deutsche Marine –". 29 August 2018. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  19. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (18 December 2020). "Germany and the Netherlands Joining Forces for F-124 / LCF Frigate Replacement". Naval News. Retrieved 14 March 2021.

Further reading

  • Jan Wiedemann: COE CSW celebrates fifth anniversary; in: NAVAL FORCES III/2014 p. 90 f.
  • Hans-Joachim Stricker: Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters COE CSW – Das COE als Ausdruck unserer besonderen nationalen Fähigkeiten im Bündnis; in: Marineforum 6-2007 p. 3 f.
  • Fritz-Rudolf Weber: Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters – Think Tank für die NATO; in: Marineforum 1/2-2010 p. 11 ff.
  • Hans Georg Buss, Stefan Riewesell: Maritime C-IED and Harbour Protection: A Joint Effort; in: The Transformer Fall 2013 Vol 9 Issue 2 p. 18
  • Rahn, Werner. "German Navies from 1848 to 2016: Their Development and Courses from Confrontation to Cooperation." Naval War College Review 70.4 (2017). online
  • Peifer, Douglas (2002). The Three German Navies:  Dissolution, Transition, and New Beginning. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2002.
    ISBN 0-8130-2553-2
  • Peifer, Douglas (2011).·"Establishing the Bundesmarine". In Rearming Germany, ed. James S. Corum. Boston; Leiden: Brill, 2011.
    ISBN 978-90-04-20320-4
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