Air assets for KSK

[jeff]

Does the Luftwaffe or Bundeswehr have a dedicated special operations aviation unit to support KSK and the other German special operations units?

[Repp]

The KSK is a group of the "Heer", the Bundeswehr is the whole institution including: Luftwaffe, heer, and marine. Like air force, army, navy. So the KSK is from the Heer, so the heer has the helikopters.

Repp

[jeff]

OK, my mistake, but are the Heer helos equipped to infil and exfil special operations teams at night in adverse weather.


[This message has been edited by jeff (edited 10-22-2000).]

[Repp]

I suppose so. The KSK is somewhat new to the Bundeswehr, so they get a lot of money for weapons, equipment etc. The helikopter division of the heer is called "heeresflieger" I imagen, that they recrute some gifted pilot, and stuff him in a hi-tech helicopter. How much do you know of the KSK ? In Germany they try to stay secret, ...well you know what I mean. Nobody knows all that much about them. Is there a homepage where I could look?

Repp

------------------
Stay alive!

[Basti]

Look on these pages:
www.eliteeinheiten.de (http://www.eliteeinheiten.de)

or
www.falli.de (http://www.falli.de)

[jeff]

Basti, thanks for the sites, my German sucks but I can muddle through.
I guess in answer to my question UH-1s , from the sites that Basti sent that was the only helo that i saw, with Fast rope bars. Most probably NVG qualified shit-hot pilots but surely something better than UH-1s to support a National asset?

[This message has been edited by jeff (edited 10-22-2000).]

[Lachi]

Some years ago some CH-53 have been modified for special operations with NVG, ballistic protection and something else.

[jeff]

Probably similiar to the MH-53s, in-flight refuel, FLIR and all the goodies. Never seen one with German markings but I'm sure I could fill this forum with stuff i don't know. Those 53s gotta be getting old. I know ours are. If it ain't leaking something then your in trouble.
I would have thought modified BO-104s(i think that is the correct name), short range but highly maneuverable. Polizei use them.

[Lachi]

The Polizei in bavaria uses the Eurocopter EC-135.

[dirk]

The UH-1ds will be replaced by the new NH-90. One version the Bundeswehr will get is a NH-90 with Combat-SAR capabilities.

[Joe Lippke]

If someone should still be interested in this topic: As far as i know the german army aviation branch still has nothing comparable to the SOAR.

Only NVG, but nothing like inflight-refuelling or FLIR.

I still remember an article in the german army-magazine "Das Heer" (released in autumn 1996) where they published a story about the first german door gunner training facilities. This meant that the Bundeswehr used it´s first door-mounted MGs in the late 90s!!! (The first US door gunners came to combat during the war in Korea, more than 40 years ago!!)


JOE

[haho]

The HEER KSK will get real CSAR capabilities when the NH-90?(FRP,NVG,TFR,etc.) will replace the UH-1. At the moment there is no real CSAR capability.

P.S.: Sorry Jeff but the name is BO-105