With the
Russian war of aggression against Ukraine
the security situation in Europe has changed fundamentally – also for the German Bundeswehr’s 21 Armored Brigade.
German Armed Forces
. Since 2022, no two years have been the same: Supporting the training of
Ukrainian armed forces
, reorganization into the first brigade of the Medium Forces and numerous deployments to Lithuania have shaped the picture.
The next important step followed: the 215 artillery battalion was officially established in Augustdorf to further develop the brigade. “The formation of a new unit is undoubtedly a very significant event and an expression of the turning point. As the first brigade of the Medium Forces, we are delighted to soon be able to rely on artillery support from our own ranks,” explained Brigadier General Marco Eggert, Commander of Armored Brigade 21, during the roll call in Augustdorf.
The new troop flag of Artillery Battalion 215 was unveiled for the first time during the ceremonial marching in and the unit was thus put into service.
“The highly mobile wheeled howitzers and modern unmanned weapons give the brigade the ability to engage targets deep in enemy territory – flexibly, precisely and organically anchored in our structure,” explains Eggert. Previously, this kind of fire support was only possible via higher-level artillery units.
With the formation, Lieutenant Colonel Fabian Kolbe takes command of the new unit. Together with his 26-strong formation staff, he is now starting his work. “We will lay the foundations, formulate operational principles and test procedures – so that our successors can take over an operational battalion. The aim is to have a well-coordinated and well-trained force even before the new weapon system is introduced,” emphasized Kolbe in his speech at the reception afterwards.
The name “215” is a deliberate nod to a history steeped in tradition: From 1958 to 2015, the 215 Armored Artillery Battalion was stationed in the General Field Marshal Rommel Barracks in Augustdorf – once the backbone of the brigade’s steep-fire support.
The renewed designation serves to maintain tradition, but the new battalion follows a completely new tactical approach.
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“In line with our orientation as a medium force, we are relying entirely on wheeled mobility and unmanned systems. The new 215 artillery battalion will be equipped with the RCH 155 wheeled howitzer (pictured above), among other things,” says Eggert.
With this system, the unit fits seamlessly into the brigade’s mobile combat operations. In the future, the capability of the wheeled howitzer will be supplemented by modern unmanned aerial weapon systems that can be deployed flexibly in combat – a further building block in the technology-open capability development of the Medium Forces.
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for further reports on the Bundeswehr.
