Academic Year 1967-1968, Unit 3: Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany Page: 10
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assigned to the Luftwaffe also man 6 air 6efense
battalions armed with Nike-Hercules missiles, and
5 battalions using Hawk surface-to-air missiles.
All combat ready Luftwaffe units operate under
NATO command.
The naval forces of the Bundeswehr figure
significantly in NATO defense plans for the
North Sea and the Danish Straits. These straits,
between Denmark and Sweden, are of great
strategic value as a defensible bottleneck between
the Baltic Sea and the North Sea from one point
of view, and as an entry to the high seas and
coastal Europe from another.
This, at least partly, explains why the German
Navy branch of the Bundeswehr is equipped as
it is. The 1965 inventory of about 300 vessels
listed 10 destroyers, 11 submarines, 59 mine-
sweepers, 6 supply ships, and 10 oilers, in addi-
tion to torpedo-boats, landing craft, training
vessels and other craft. Besides manning and ser-
vicing this fleet, the 35,000 officers and men of
the West German Navy also operate a naval air
arm of two wings which include fighter aircraft
and antisubmarine patrol bombers.
The Federal German contribution to the de-
f'ense of Western Europe of men in uniform,
equipped and in place, can certainly be seen as
a real, tangible asset in the ideological conflict
that confronts the world today. From the per-
spective of the United States, with its world-wide
commitments to the protection and encourage-
ment of free men, this contribution represents a
welcome acceptance of wider responsibility by
one of the beneficiaries of our stand against Com-
munist imperial designs From the viewpoint of
West Germany, the Bun eswehr's contribution to
NATO is one of the major pillars upon which
their national security rests
Territorial Defense Forces
CAnother basis of West German security is the
eLritorial Defense Forces. Even though NATO
is hopefully viewed in Germany as the answer to
European, and hence West German security,
through a shared defensive effort, the Federal
Republic is still responsible to its people for their
protection. All NATO countries have similar re-
sponsibilities, but security is especially important
to the Federal Republic of Germany because of
her strategic location at the geographic cross-
roads of Europe and on the border with the
Communist East. In the event of war in Europe,
under any of the conditions presently foresee-
able, the territory of the Federal Republic would
immediately acquire all of the characteristics of
a combat zone. Under these circumstances the
10st Grman Government is responsible 'ot o1h
for protecting the German people and their vital
economic and cultural installations from the rav-
ages of war, but also taking measures to prevent
the outbreak of chaotic conditions that would
make the effective employment of the integrated
NATO forces impossible. Thus, the Federal Re-
public's territorial defense efforts should not be
viewed entirely as actions taken in the German
interest, but should also be considered as part of
that country's obligation toward the alliance as a
whole. '
Thf problem of territorial defense in West
Germany is divided into two major areas: civil
defense and territorial defense. Civil defense is
concerned mainly with protecting the civilian pop-
ulation while territorial defense is more closely
related to preserving the operational integrity of
NATO forces. These can readily be seen as
being highly complimentary.
Civil Defense. Civil defense activities are
broader than acquiring and storing food, water,
and medical supplies, or developing a fallout
shelter program. Besides protecting the popula-
tion by providing the means for survival, and
keeping up essential government services by
maintaining law and order, civil defense is
charged with additional responsibilities. These in-
clude: strengthening the population's will to re-
sist aggression and to defend their country; mak-
ing maximum use of all national resources for
defensive purposes; and supporting all national
and NATO military forces operating within the
territory of the Federal Republic. By preparing
the civilian population to follow the NATO ap-
proved "stay at home" policy, Civil Defense also
assists in maintaining freedom of operation for
the military forces.
Territorial Defense. As was pointed out earlier,
the Territorial Defense Forces are more directly
concerned with preserving the freedom of all
German and NATO forces within the Federal
Republic, and with measures pertaining to rear
area security. These forces also assist civilian
agencies in the execution of their tasks, espe-
cially those which are designed to maintain law
and order and to provide for the physical sur-
vival of the population.
One of the most difficult but important func-
tions of territorial defense, is to provide liaison
between the NATO forces and the German Gov-
ernment offices, especially for the purpose of
utilizing available national resources for the com-
mon defense task. In early 1966, there were
liaison staffs attached for this purpose, to the 1st
Belgian Corps, the 7th U.S. Army, and the 1st
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Air University (U.S.). Academic Year 1967-1968, Unit 3: Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany, pamphlet, January 1967; Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1010254/m1/14/?q=%22~1~1%22~1&rotate=180: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting National WASP WWII Museum.