Bundeswehr Forms New Artillery Battalion Equipped With RCH-155 Self-Propelled Guns

The German Army has established a new artillery battalion as part of the 21st Panzer Brigade.

The announcement was made on the official Bundeswehr Facebook page.

The formation ceremony took place at the Rommel Barracks in Augustdorf, where the 215th Artillery Battalion was officially established. In addition to being the first of its kind, it will also be the first unit in the brigade and army to receive modern 155 mm RCH-155 wheeled artillery systems.

Lieutenant Colonel Fabian Kolbe was appointed the first commander of the newly formed battalion. Together with his staff, he has started organizing and training the unit.

The main task is to establish the organizational and technical framework so the battalion can become operational as soon as the combat equipment arrives.

Structurally, the battalion will follow the standard organization for artillery units and will include three batteries operating the RCH-155, along with a support battery responsible for logistics.

The 215th Artillery Battalion is part of the 21st Tank Brigade, which falls under the 1st Tank Division.

The brigade is the only unit in the division to have regular artillery. Other artillery systems, including the PzH 2000 and M270 multiple launch rocket systems, are directly subordinate to the 1st Division, notably within the 325th Artillery Battalion.

The German Army plans to significantly strengthen its artillery capabilities.

The Ministry of Defense has ordered additional tracked PzH 2000 self-propelled guns, increasing their total from 134 to 166 units. The German Armed Forces will also receive 168 RCH-155 wheeled systems.

The expansion of rocket artillery is also planned, with Germany set to purchase 36 M270 MARS multiple launch rocket systems, thereby enhancing its maneuverable fire support capabilities.

Militarnyi previously reported that since the start of the program to procure additional MLRS, the German Ministry of Defense had favored purchasing the EuroPULS system. This choice supports closer cooperation with the Netherlands, which is also acquiring the system.
Joint procurement of missile systems and spare parts would allow significant cost savings in maintenance and support.