1st Light Infantry Regiment (Airmobile)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 1st Light Infantry Regiment (Airmobile)


caption=Insignia of 1st Light Infantry Regiment (Airmobile)
country= Germany
type= Air Assault
branch= German Army
Subordinate to 1st Airmobile Brigade, Division Aerial Operations
dates= 2006 - Present
role= Air Assault Infantry
command_structure=
size= 1370 soldiers
current_commander= Colonel Bernd Clös
garrison= Schwarzenborn, Hesse, Germany

The German Army's 1st Light Infantry Regiment (Airmobile), in German "Jägerregiment 1 (luftbeweglich)", is a newly formed Air Assault Regiment and the only formation of this kind within the Bundeswehr. The regiment is part of Airmobile Operations Division. Soldiers of this unit will be deployed by helicopters to the combat zone and receive fire support by them. Until the foundation of 1st LIRgt (A), there had not been a similar unit in the German Armed Forces.

tructure

Unlike other regiments within the German Army, 1st LIRgt (A) is not superordinate to individual battalions but directly to companies. The regiment consists of 10 companies:

*1. / HQ company
*2. / light infantry company
*3. / light infantry company
*4. / light infantry company (equipped with APCs)
*5. / heavy infantry company
*6. / heavy infantry company
*7. / engineer company
** combat engineer platoon
** combat engineer platoon
** field engineer platoon
*8. / light air defence battery
** air defense platoon
** air defense platoon
** NBC-Defence platoon
*9. / logistic company
*10. / support company

History

The regiment has become active in late 2006 and grew to its planned strength till 2008. During March 2008, 1st LIRgt (A) assumed its first operational role and deployed 600 soldiers to Kosovo as part of an Operational Reserve for ongoing operations of KFOR-troops in the region. [http://www.deutschesheer.de/portal/a/dlo/aktuelles/nachrichten/jahr2008/maerz2008?yw_contentURL=/01DB050400000001/W27CQAK3956INFODE/content.jsp]

Equipment

The unit is mechanized despite being an air assault regiment. For mobility, the regiment relies on the Wolf Light Vehicle which is the standard transport utility vehicle of the German Army. Two mechanized light infantry companies will use the Armoured Weapons Carrier Wiesel in variants 1 and 2 equipped with a wide range of weapons such as a mounted BGM-71 TOW guided anti-tank missile, a 20 mm autocannon, a FIM-92 Stinger system (called LeFlaSys) or a mounted 120 mm mortar. Furthermore, it is planned that the regiment will receive a certain number of GTK Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Mungo ESK Armoured Multirole Transport Vehicles.

For its Air Assault role, the regiment will dispose of air lift capabilities in form of one light transport helicopter regiment (10th) within 1st Airmobile Brigade and three medium transport helicopter regiments (15th, 25th, 30th) of its superordinate division. These regiments are currently equipped with the UH-1D utility helicopter and the CH-53G(A)(S) medium transport helicopter, a part of which are about to be replaced by the new NH90 helicopter.

ources

[http://www.deutschesheer.de/portal/a/dlo/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN3SJd7Q0A8lB2Kau-pFw0aCUVH1fj_zcVH1v_QD9gtyIckdHRUUAquHS8w!!/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82XzFEX0E4SA!!] 1st Light Infantry Regiment (Airmobile) on http://www.deutschesheer.de

ee also

*Air assault
*101st Airborne Division (United States)
*16th Air Assault Brigade