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East Germany Ground Forces
The ground forces in 1987 made up 68 percent of the NVA,
having a total strength of 120,000, of whom 60 percent were
draftees. Ground forces included two tank divisions, four
motorized rifle regiments, two surface-to-surface missile
brigades, two artillery regiments and one antiaircraft artillery
regiment, eight air defense regiments, one airborne battalion,
two antitank battalions, and several support units.
Because East Germany produced primarily military
supplies--such as computers, clothing, military vehicles, and
communications equipment--rather than arms, major items of
weaponry and equipment were obtained from the Soviet Union. Of
the equipment used by the ground forces, only some wheeled
vehicles were of East German design and manufacture. Some small
arms and ammunition were also of local manufacture but were
licensed copies of Soviet designs. The NVA had purchased 170
RM-70 122mm multiple rocket launchers and a number of FUG-70
scout cars from Czechoslovakia, but most of its weapons and
equipment were of Soviet design and manufacture. In 1985 the tank
inventory included an estimated 1,500 T-54s, T-55s, and T-72s
assigned to units and approximately 1,600 more armored vehicles,
including T-34s, in storage. Reconnaissance units were equipped
with 1,000 BRDM-1 and BRDM-2 scout cars. Motorized infantry units
had 1,000 BMP infantry combat vehicles, as well as 1,500
BTR-50Ps, BTR-60Ps, and BTR-152s and 200 BTR-70s (armored
personnel carriers) and MT-LBs (multipurpose towing and transport
vehicles). The artillery inventory included the following guns:
400 D-44s and self-propelled SD-44s (85mm); M-1931s and M-1937s
(122mm); and 72 M-46s (130mm). There were also 108 M-1937 gun
howitzers and 54 self-propelled M-197 and D-20 (152mm) gun
howitzers, as well as various other kinds of howitzers: D-30s,
M-1938s (M-30s), and self-propelled M-1974s (122 mm). Other
artillery assets were 250 mortars (120mm); 24 FROG-7 and 18
SCUD-B tactical missile launchers; and multiple rocket launchers,
which included 108 BM-21s, Czechoslovak RM-70s (122mm), and
BM-24s (240mm)
(see
fig. 14).
The NVA's antitank inventory consisted of 120 T-12 guns
(100mm) and various quantities of AT-3 SAGGER (including
self-propelled BRDM-2s) and AT-4 SPIGOT antitank guided weapons.
In terms of air defense assets, the East German ground forces had
ninety-six self-propelled ZSU-23-4 guns, as well as SA-4, SA-6,
and SA-9 antiaircraft missiles.
Data as of July 1987
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