The Germans drew conclusions from the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war and decided to increase the possible of the Bundeswehr artillery, which was drastically reduced after the Cold War ended. According to the plans presented at the May conference "Future Artillery" in Paris, the number of artillery battalions will be doubled by 2035. Their organizational structures will besides change. At the same time, fresh types of haubic and rocket launchers will be purchased, so that the number of systems will increase from about 150 to 365. However, the plans presented in Paris may inactive change due to the fact that they have not been yet approved.
The scale of the German artillery collapse best shows its condition in 2022, erstwhile the armed conflict in the east of Europe began. At the time there were only 4 artillery battalions in the German land army, 2 of which were school units. The demolition of organizational structures was accompanied by a simplification of weapons. And so of the 154 MARS rocket launchers (a German version of the American MLRS M270 system) which were purchased between 1989 and 1993, now the Bundeswehra has about 40 copies upgraded to the MARS II standard. akin reductions were besides made in the case of PzH 2000 caliber self-propelled bogies.
The reconstruction of the artillery in the Bundeswehr began in 2023 erstwhile its fresh battalion for the 37th Armoured Grenadiers Brigade "Freistaat Sachsen" began. Apart from it, the organic artillery unit has only the German-French Brigade. There was so a request to make 5 more brigade artillery battalions. The another 3 existing artillery battalions are divisional units. 2 of them are subordinate to the 10th Armoured Division and 1 to the 1st Armoured Division.
The artillery battalions in the brigade have 3 fire batteries – 2 of the PzH 2000 and 1 of the MARS II rocket launchers. During the Paris conference, a typical of the Bundeswehr stated that in the future there would be 3 Haubic batteries of 9 guns (one more than today), 1 of which would be a reserve. 4 battalions for dense brigades will be equipped with the PzH 2000. In 2023, 10 fresh haubics were ordered to replace 14 transferred Ukraine. These guns will be delivered from 2025 to 2026. In addition, the contract signed by their producer, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, with the national Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Operating Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) includes an option of 18 additional haubic. According to the plans presented in Paris, it is expected to be 121 cannonhaubic PzH 2000 in German land troops.
On the another hand, 3 artillery battalions designed for medium-sized brigades whose primary vehicle is the Boxer 8x8, are to receive the fresh RCH-155 self-propelled artillery system. In this case, an unmanned 155-millimeter barrel tower was placed on the Boxer. Although no order has been placed for RCH-155, the Bundeswehra would like to receive the first copies of these departments in 2029. It's already been reported that the military sees a place for up to 168 sets. If these purposes had been fulfilled, the German army's artillery would have had 289 haubic in 2035.
Another difference outside the kind of haubic is the planned in artillery battalions dense brigade battery fire support. In the mediate brigades, instead, there will be platoons of fire support in their infantry battalions. These variations make the artillery battalion in the dense brigade have 555 soldiers, and in average only 340. In addition to the deficiency of a fire support battery, a smaller number of the second battalion would besides consequence from the fact that RCH-155 is 2 soldiers and the PzH 2000 five.
Germany would besides like to have 1 artillery battalion at body level. Its equipment would constitute a long-range rocket artillery strategy capable of damaging targets up to 300 km away. The unit would form 3 batteries after 12 launchers (one backup) and 420 soldiers. In turn, 2 squadron-level artillery battalions would supply fire support up to 150 km, as 1 of their batteries would be equipped with 16 MARS II launchers. On the another hand, 2 batteries would have 9 155-millimeter Haubic batteries, which would yet be RCH-155. A 4th fire battery with 9 cannons and 4 rocket launchers would be a reserve unit. In a divisional artillery battalion, about 700 soldiers would serve.
During a conference in Paris, a typical of the Bundeswehr stated that in 2035 there were to be 10 artillery battalions, and in consequence to the German defence ministry for the parliamentary interpelling in early March 2024 there were 13 of them. Why the difference? Well, in consequence to the ministry, the artillery of Dutch land troops, which are integrated into German, was taken into account. Dutch 43 Mechanized Brigade is associated with 1 DPanc and 13 Light Brigade with 10 DPanc. According to the assumptions of the artillery squadrons, these brigades are expected to have 2 8 barrel batteries from the PzH 2000 and 1 battery with 8 PULS rocket launchers, which were ordered in 2023 in Israel. However, another option is to make a separate rocket artillery squadron. And that explains where 13 units came from.
