Ready for the future

On April 29, 2025, the new support command of the Bundeswehr in Bonn will be officially commissioned, after full operational capability was already established on April 1. The establishment addresses the particular challenge of distributing scarce key capabilities within the Bundeswehr.

One of these key capabilities is NBC defense (nuclear, biological, chemical). It is being integrated into the support area by the NBC Defense Command in Bruchsal and has around 2,500 positions.

NBC defense is the ability of the armed forces to protect and operate under NBC threat and NBC conditions, as well as against NBC threats and risk potentials. The capabilities include NBC defense advice, reconnaissance of NBC combat and hazardous substances, and decontamination after an NBC event. These capabilities are used as needed to protect the troops - both in operations and in Germany.

NBC defense forces protect the troops in stationary and mobile operations - whether at home or abroad. They also protect facilities such as logistical bases in the operational area, port facilities, airports, transit routes, and critical infrastructure.

An NBC threat and risk analysis is carried out for each operational area, from which the necessary NBC defense capabilities are custom tailored. The NBC defense specialists provide assistance to federal and state authorities if they do not have sufficient capabilities and capacities.

The current security policy developments require the alignment of national and alliance defense with NATO and the EU. The NBC defense forces are also aligned with this. Support for allied forces operating in or from Germany (Host Nation Support) must be considered. This also applies to measures of international crisis management.

The threat posed by nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical weapons has increased in recent years. Substances that have effects similar to NBC agents could be produced, stored, and transported anywhere today. If there is suspicion of released hazardous substances, specialized NBC defense forces are requested to identify and, if necessary, render them harmless. These soldiers can provide support to special forces worldwide under high time pressure and in a non-peaceful environment with mobile analysis capabilities and technical expertise.

To effectively address the diverse dangers for overall national security in the future, on April 3, 2025, the NBC Defense Command of the Bundeswehr in Bruchsal and the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) in Bonn-Lengsdorf signed a cooperation agreement.