Fernspähkompanie
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| Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Company 200 Fernspählehrkompanie 200 |
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 Badge of Fernspählehrkompanie 200 |
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| Active | 1962-Present |
| Country | Germany |
| Branch | German Army |
| Type | Special operations |
| Role | Special Surveillance and Reconnaissance (SR) Asymmetric Warfare Forward Air Control |
| Size | About 210 |
| Garrison/HQ | Pfullendorf |
| Motto | The Eye of the Army Oculus Exercitus |
| Engagements | Aftermath of the Balkan Wars 1995-1999 (Incl. operations to search and arrest war criminals) Kosovo War Operation Enduring Freedom |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Major Franco Meyer |
Fernspäher are members of Germany's elite reconnaissance units.
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[edit] Nomenclature
The term Fernspähkompanie is used for a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol unit of company size of the German Army.
[edit] Details
Until the foundation of the Special Forces Command (or Kommando Spezialkräfte) in 1996/1997, the German Army had three Fernspäher companies, one assigned to each of the three Corps of the army. Initially these were modeled after Finnish Army's WWII long-range patrol teams[citation needed] that conducted reconnaissance, sabotage, and prisoner capture missions as far as 300 km deep into Soviet Union territory, surviving for days on carried supplies or weeks on parachute dropped resupplies; furthermore they drew on the special skills of German Alpenjäger, paratroopers, and other special units.
After the creation of a new special forces unit, 100st and 300th companies were disbanded and the major part of their personnel was attached to a Long Range Reconnaissance Company. The remaining 200th company was converted into a training company (Fernspählehrkompanie 200, often abbreviated as FSLK 200) based at the Special Operations Training Center (former International LRRP School) in Pfullendorf (with some of the training taking place in Munster). The company still has an active role though and gained importance again after the terrorism attacks on September 11, 2001 and the following operations against international terrorism.
[edit] Structure of the current Fernspähkompanie
The FSLK 200 consists of four LRRP-platoons, an additional special applications LRRP-platoon, a maintenance squad, a support squad, two specialized medical squads and a specialized military intelligence platoon. The overall-strength is likely to match a number of over 200 soldiers. The FSLK 200 is directly subordinate to Division Special Operations or Division Spezielle Operationen of the German Army and also a part of the recently created Army Reconaissance Troops Branch or Heeresaufklärungstruppe (See German Army).
[edit] Missions
Like all other units of the Bundeswehr as well the FSLK200 needs an approval of the German Bundestag to deploy troops to overseas. This permission can however be requested subsequently if the situation requires immediate action. Details about operations of the FSLK 200 are kept secret. Nonetheless, it is known that Fernspäher soldiers have carried out missions during operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, during Kosovo War and later during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Additionally, Fernspäher soldiers deployed to Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2006 as a part of the European Union mission EUFOR RD Congo.
[edit] Weaponry
The arsenal of the Fernspäher is mainly based on stock issued weapons of the Bundeswehr, but with special additions not available to regular troops. The main weapon system is the Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle, followed by the HK MP5 SMG in several variants. The mainly used heavy weapons are the Bundeswehr's GPMG Rheinmetall MG3, the HK G8 Machine gun, and sniper rifles G22/G24 produced by Accuracy International. The basic sidearm is the HK P12-pistol, a .45 ACP Heckler & Koch USP Tactical variant.
[edit] Trivia
The motto of the Fernspählehrkompanie 200 is "Oculus exercitus" (lat.The eye of the Army), the motto of Fernspäher soldiers within the KSK is "Als erste rein, als letzte raus" (German: First in - last out).
