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| Combat Manoeuvre Training Centre (Germany) | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Combat Manoeuvre Training Centre (Germany) |
| Dates | 1997–2014 |
| Country | Germany |
| Branch | Bundeswehr |
| Type | Training establishment |
| Role | Opposing force training, collective manoeuvre training |
| Garrison | Hohenfels Training Area, Grafenwöhr Training Area |
| Notable commanders | See section |
Combat Manoeuvre Training Centre (Germany)
The Combat Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC) in Germany was a multinational Bundeswehr-funded training establishment that provided collective combined-arms training, opposing force (OPFOR) instruction, and doctrine development for armored, mechanised, and infantry formations. Located within the Hohenfels Training Area and closely associated with Grafenwöhr, CMTC served NATO and partner nations by integrating lessons from operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq into live training scenarios. It functioned as a hub linking doctrine, tactics, and capability development across units from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Poland, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Romania, and other allied forces.
CMTC was established in 1997 amid post–Cold War transformation efforts involving the Bundeswehr, NATO, United States Army Europe, and allied partners seeking to professionalise collective training after operations such as Bosnian War, Kosovo War, and operations in the Former Yugoslavia. Influenced by experiences from the First Gulf War and the organisational reforms prompted by the Wehrmacht legacy debates, CMTC incorporated concepts from the No. 1 International Brigade exercises and the multinational training initiatives led by USAREUR. Through the 2000s CMTC adapted to counterinsurgency and stability tasks after ISAF deployment, drawing on after-action reviews from the Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the International Security Assistance Force. In 2014 CMTC's functions were merged and restructured under the Combined Arms Training Centre reforms and evolving NATO training architectures, while its legacy informed programmes such as the Joint Multinational Readiness Center and multinational centre initiatives across Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania.
CMTC operated under Bundeswehr oversight with multinational liaison officers from United States Army, British Army, French Army, Polish Land Forces, Canadian Army, Norwegian Armed Forces, Dutch Army, Czech Army, and Romanian Land Forces. Its command integrated staff officers experienced in headquarters from NATO Allied Command Operations, ISAF HQ, US Central Command, and national general staffs such as the German General Staff and the Ministry of Defence (Germany). CMTC maintained dedicated OPFOR leadership drawn from former members of units including the Panzergrenadier brigades, Armoured Brigade cadres, and allied armored regiments like the Royal Tank Regiment and 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. Liaison with doctrine centres—United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, British Army Training Unit Suffield, Centre de Doctrine d'Emploi des Forces, and the NATO Allied Command Transformation—shaped command relationships, exercise control, and evaluation procedures.
CMTC delivered collective training packages from company to brigade level including combined-arms manoeuvre, urban operations, counterinsurgency, peace enforcement, and joint interoperability. Courses incorporated doctrinal frameworks from the US Army Field Manual, British Army Field Manuals, Estonian Defence Doctrine, and NATO publications such as the NATO Standardization Office outputs and ATP-3 materials. Training emphasised mission command concepts derived from FM 6-0 and tactical doctrines used in Operation Herrick and Operation Telic lessons. CMTC ran rotation cycles modelled after Combat Training Centre programmes like the National Training Center (Fort Irwin) and the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, integrating scenario design influenced by engagements such as the Battle of Fallujah, Battle of Kunduz, and peacekeeping mandates under United Nations mandates. Evaluations used methodologies akin to the After Action Review process and capability assessments used by EUFOR and KFOR headquarters.
CMTC leveraged the Hohenfels Training Area and Grafenwöhr ranges with combined-arms maneuver areas, urban training villages, live-fire ranges, and instrumentation networks similar to those at Fort Irwin, Grafenwoehr Training Area, and the Sennelager Training Area. Facilities included Opposing Force compounds, convoy ranges used in exercises reminiscent of convoy operations in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom, urban close-quarters battle complexes reflecting lessons from Siege of Sarajevo and Battle of Grozny, and electronic warfare and signals ranges informed by SEAD practice and NATO Electronic Warfare doctrine. Instrumentation systems enabled tracking and assessment comparable to systems deployed at the Combat Training Center Hohenfels and digital mission systems used by USAREUR.
CMTC hosted rotations and exercises drawing participants from United States Army Europe, British Army Training Unit, French Army Training Command, Polish Land Forces, Romanian Land Forces, Canadian Expeditionary Force Command, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Latvian National Armed Forces, Estonian Defence Forces, Czech Land Forces, Slovak Armed Forces, Norwegian Army, Dutch Armed Forces, Italian Army, Spanish Army, Greek Armed Forces, and partner nations from Partnership for Peace. Exercises included multinational scenarios reflecting operations similar to Operation Trident Juncture, Exercise Saber Guardian, Exercise Steadfast Jazz, Operation Atlantic Resolve, and bilateral training links with the Joint Readiness Training Center and the Multinational Corps Northeast.
CMTC employed OPFOR and participant platforms such as Leopard 2, M1 Abrams, Challenger 2, Leclerc, PT-91 Twardy, CV90, PzH 2000, M109 Paladin, BMP-2, BTR-80, Boxer (armoured vehicle), Stryker, and engineering vehicles used by NATO brigades. Simulation and instrumentation systems included live-training instrumentation akin to the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System, digital mission-command training tools inspired by CACI systems, and constructive simulation suites paralleling OneSAF and VBS3 use. Electronic warfare, signals intelligence equipment, and unmanned aerial systems comparable to RQ-7 Shadow and ScanEagle augmented real-time assessment and after-action review capture.
CMTC's influence extended into doctrine and force development for contingents deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and peacekeeping missions under UNPROFOR-style mandates. Alumni from CMTC planning and OPFOR cadres contributed to doctrine updates within NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, staff officers assigned to ISAF headquarters, and national rapid reaction brigades such as 1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 1st Armored Division (United States), and the Bundeswehr Rapid Forces Division. CMTC's methodologies informed the development of multinational training centres in Poland, Estonia, and the modernised programmes at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center and influenced capability investments in systems like the Leopard 2 A7 upgrade and digital training architectures used by Allied Command Transformation.
Category:Training establishments of the Bundeswehr Category:NATO