10 Armoured Division

Together with 1st Panzerdivision, 10th Panzerdivision is one of two major mechanized units of the German Army. Most of 10th Panzerdivision’s units are based in the south of Germany. The Division is headquartered at the Bavarian town of Veitshöchheim, near Würzburg.

The Division is a binational division in its basic structure. Cooperation with the Netherlands Armed Forces has been further intensified and strengthened by placing 13 (NLD) Lichte Brigade under the command of 10th Panzerdivision in April 2023. The Brigade is based in Oirschot in the Netherlands and, with its wheeled armoured vehicles, provides the Division's medium forces.

Another hallmark of the Division is the French-German Brigade, which has its soldiers stationed at garrisons in Baden-Württemberg and France. The fact that this mixed brigade, which was founded in 1989, is under binational command underlines the strong bond between Germany and France as close partners in Europe. The German Detachment to the French-German Brigade is placed under the command of 10th Panzerdivision. Finally, the Division also includes two heavy armoured brigades – 12 Armoured Brigade „Oberpfalz” and 37 Armoured Infantry Brigade „Freistaat Sachsen”.

The Division maintains close partnerships with, amongst others, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, as has most recently been showcased during Exercise Grand Quadriga in May 2024. Multinationality is the normal thing in 10th Panzerdivision

With its division troops stationed in Füssen, Idar-Oberstein, Veitshöchheim, Weiden in der Oberpfalz and Bogen, 10th Panzerdivision is capable of purposefully supporting and reinforcing the brigades with specific capabilities as required by the mission. To do so, the Division has engineers, reconnaissance, supply and signal forces at its disposal.

As a mechanized major unit, 10th Panzerdivision is geared towards operations across the entire intensity spectrum, including national and collective defence. However, the particular specialty of the soldiers of 10th Panzerdivision is combined arms combat conducted by armoured forces.

In the light of the watershed era that has dawned and the Bundeswehr's orientation towards national and collective defence, 10th Panzerdivision started implementing structural changes which will be completed by the end of 2024. 10th Panzerdivision will provide a mission-ready and war-capable combat division to the NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization by 2025. Comprising three brigades and the division troops, and reinforced by medical forces and additional logistic forces, assets of the Cyber and Information Domain Service or military police, „Division 25” will number up to 30,000 soldiers altogether.

Abroad

Over the past few years 10th Panzerdivision has been deployed on many missions abroad. These missions include for example the Resolute Support (RS) mission in Afghanistan, the Kosovo Force (KFORKosovo Force), the European Union Training Mission (EUTMEuropean Union Training Mission) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali/Mission Multidimensionnelle Intégrée des Nations Unies pour la Stabilisation au Mali (MINUSMAMultidimensionnelle Intégrée des Nations Unies pour la Stabilisation au Mali).

From 2017 to August 2024, 10th Panzerdivision provided Army forces to the German element of the enhanced Forward Presence (eFPenhanced Forward Presence) Battle Group in Lithuania, a recognized mission to protect NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization’s eastern flank, with Battle Groups rotating at six-month intervals. In 2024 this mission was reassigned to 1st Panzerdivision.

From 2021 to June 2024 10th Panzerdivision performed the role of lead division for NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTFVery High Readiness Joint Task Force ). VJTFVery High Readiness Joint Task Force enabled NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization to respond to developments in the security situation even more quickly and flexibly, and thus render an important contribution to national and collective defence.
In addition, 10th Panzerdivision provides forces to the European Union Military Assistance Mission Ukraine (EUMAM UAEuropean Union Military Assistance Mission Ukraine)

In the year 2022 12 Armoured Brigade „Oberpfalz” was the first to take on this mission. Since 2024 the French-German Brigade has been providing soldiers for this mission. Several training units of 10th Panzerdivision have thus been involved in the mission on a rotating basis. 
Since April 2024 10th Panzerdivision also has deployed about 200 soldiers of the French-German Brigade to provide the Manoeuvre Company for the Kosovo Force (KFORKosovo Force).

Disaster Relief

10th Panzerdivision does not only cooperate with the armed forces of numerous friendly nations in matters of training and exercises, but it is there wherever needed. At the request of other authorities, the Division’s soldiers provide support (officially termed administrative assistance) in the event of disasters and accidents, as for example in the serious flooding of the Danube in 2013, during the snow disaster in southern Bavaria in 2019 or in the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. In doing so, up to 6,000 soldiers assisted in the operation of testing stations and vaccination centres or simply helped out in heavily-burdened nursing homes.
The Tenth, we are: reliable – mobile – fast.

To accomplish their mission, the Division’s soldiers have various main weapon systems available, such as the Leopard 2 main battle tank, the Marder and Puma armoured infantry fighting vehicles, the MARSMittleres Artillerieraketensystem (medium-range artillery rocket system) II rocket launcher, the PzH 2000 armoured self-propelled howitzer, the BV 206 S Hägglunds all-terrain carrier, the Büffel armoured recovery vehicle, the Bison armoured recovery vehicle, the Leguan armoured vehicle-launched bridge-laying (AVLB) system, and the Boxer MRAV (Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle).
 

In order that 10th Panzerdivision can accomplish its tasks, it exercises direct command and control over the following units:

• 12 Armoured Brigade
• 37 Armoured Infantry Brigade
• French-German Brigade
• 13 (NLD) Lichte Brigade
• 10 Reconnaissance Battalion
• 345 Artillery Training Support Battalion
• 10 Signal Battalion
• 905 Engineer Battalion
• 4 Armoured Engineer Battalion
• 10 Security Support Battalion
• 8 Combat Service Support Battalion
   

Headquarters and Signal Company, 10 Armoured Division 

The Headquarters and Signal Company of 10 Armoured Division is based at Veitshöchheim garrison and numbers 190 soldiers.

The core mission of the company is to ensure the command and control capability of the division staff of 10 Armoured Division during command post training/exercises. The Headquarters and Signal Company of 10 Armoured Division ensures real-life materiel support and vehicle repair (maintenance) at Veitshöchheim garrison and on exercises.

Tel.: +49 931 9707 4410
Email: 10.PzDivStFmKpS1@Bundeswehr.org