The Kommando Luftstreitkräfte/Luftverteidigung (Kdo LSK/LV) was the Air Force Staff - and simultaneously the Air Force Command of the National People's Army (NPA), the Air Force of the former German Democratic Republic.

Air Forces/Air Defence Command (Kdo LSK/LV)
Kommando Luftstreitkräfte/Luftverteidigung
— XXXX —
Troop Colours of the National People's Army
Active1 March 1956 – 2 October 1990
Disbanded2 October 1990
Country East Germany
AllegianceNational Defense Council
BranchAir Forces
TypeFormation
RoleAir Force Command
Sizeca. 1.200 military people and 400 civilians
Part ofNational People's Army
Garrison/HQStrausberg
WebsiteKdo. LSK/LV
Insignia
Aircraft Roundel
Military committee of the Air Force/Air Defence’s Command of the GDR National People’s Army in 1986.
1st r.l.t.r.: A.Vogel, W.Reinhold und R.Berger
2nd r.l.t.r.: M.Reifgerste, E.Ullmann, W.Lobner, H.Trautsch, K-J.Baarß, M.Merkel, E.Telle und H.Fritsch
Three commanding generals of the GDR National People’s Army Air Force/Air Defence.
(l.t.r.: W.Reinhold, H.Kessler, Herbert Scheibe)

The main task of the Kdo LSK/LV was to provide Command, Control and Communications (C3) to the military branch as the whole, as well as to the subordinated division-sized specified commands, groups, organizations, and units of the NVA's Air Force. Under deployment conditions, and in line with the situation awareness C3 had to be executed from the Main Air Force Operations Center, the so-called Zentraler Gefechtsstand 14 (ZGS-14) in Fürstenwalde, the Rear Operations Center (Rückwärtige Führungsstaffel - RFS) in Beeskow (Ranzig), or the Interim Operations Center (Hilfsführungsstelle - HFS) in Strausberg (Eggersdorf).

The Kdo LSK/LV was established in 1950, and was disbanded together with the NVA in 1990. Its legal successor was the 5. Luftwaffendivision of the Bundeswehr.

Command and organisation

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Luftwaffe MiG-29UB

Commanding generals of the Kdo LSK/LV NVA

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Source:[1]

Military rank, name Period of service Remark
Colonel Heinz Keßler 1950–1952 after Volkspolizei Luft
Major general Heinz Keßler 1952−1955 after Verwaltung Aeroklubs
Major general Heinz-Bernhard Zorn 1956–1957 after Verwaltung der LSK
Colonel Gerhard Bauer 1956–1957 after Verwaltung der LV
Colonel general Heinz Keßler 1957–1967 Kommando LSK/LV
Lieutenant general Herbert Scheibe 1967–1972 Kommando LSK/LV
Colonel general Wolfgang Reinhold 1972–1989 Kommando LSK/LV
Lieutenant general Rolf Berger 1989–1990 Kommando LSK/LV

Organisation

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The command was composed by the following establishment:

  • Deputy Minister and Commander-in-chief LSK/LV (3 star level) with the chief's office, flight planning and military advisor
  • Deputy of the Commander LSK/LV (DC LSK/LV) and Chief of the Political Division (2 star level) with
  • Three branches including Chief Party Control Commission (de: PKK), Central Party Leadership (de: ZPL), Spec-Propaganda, and Political Branch of the Kdo LSK/LV
  • DC LSK/LV and Chief of Staff (CS) (2 star level) with
  • Assistant Chief Of Staff (ACOS) and A3 (1 star level) with
    • Branch 1 (4 sections; section EW, Counter Measures (de: GTAG), 3 radio electronic control vehicles; section military topography)
    • Branch 2
    • Combat Operations Center (de: GFZ)
  • ACOS and Chief and Automation (de: GSA) (1 star level) with
    • Branch Operations Centres (de: GS]
    • Branch C2 Mechanisation and Automation, IT (de: MAT DV)
    • Operations Training and Education Center (de: OTAZ)
  • ACOS and Chief General Tasks with
    • Staff company, guard company and vehicle company
  • Chief A1 with PTA and WTA
  • Chief Organization/Replenishment with
    • Branch Organization
    • Branch Replenishment
    • Chief RECON
    • Chief General-Military Training and Schools (de: AMAS)
    • Chief A6 and ATC with
      • Branches 1, 2 and 8th section
    • Chief Mil Scientific (de: MiWi)
    • Chief Chemical Services (de: CD)
  • DC LSK/LV and Chief Military - and Transport Aviation (de. MTFK) (2 star level) with
    • Chief Aviation Procurement and Maintenance (de: FID) (1 star level)
    • Chief Front Aviation
    • Chief Transport Aviation
    • Chief Helicopter
    • Search and Rescue (SAR), senior air traffic controller, parachute service
  • DC LSK/LV and Chief Air Defence (2 star level) with
    • Chief SAM Forces (de. FRT)
    • Chief Fighter Air Craft Aviation (de: JFK)
  • DC LSK/LV and Chief A4 (de. RD) (2 star level) with
    • AC and CS A4 (1 Star level)
    • Chief Medical Service
    • Chief Combat Engineer Service
    • Chief Military Architecture Accommodation (de: MBU)
    • Chief Military Transport (de: MTW)
    • Chief Closing and Equipment (de: BA)
  • Chief Tactical Air Command and Control Service (TACCS) (de. FuTT) (1 star level) with
Safeguarding, counterintelligence, prevention of anti-state agitation
Administration 2000: - This was the name for the Main Division I of the Stasi (Ministry for State Security), responsible for the National People's Army and the Border Troops[2]

Subordination

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A decisive number of division-sized specified commands, groups, organizations, units and military formations have been under direct control of the Kommando LSK/LV.[3]

Divisions and division-sized specified commands

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Groups, organizations, units and military formations

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Units directly subordinated to the Kommando LSK/LV normally had numbers ending at 4. The first unit was -14, a second unit of the same kind was -24 etc.


References

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  1. ^ Chefs der LSK/LV auf der Homepage des Militärarchivs[permanent dead link]; eingesehen am 6. Juni 2009
  2. ^ Hauptabteilung I: NVA und Grenztruppen Der Bundesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (BStU).
  3. ^ Joachim Nawrocki: Bewaffnete Organe in der DDR : Nationale Volksarmee and andere militärische sowie paramilitärische Verbände. Aufbau, Bewaffnung, Aufgaben. Berichte aus dem Alltag. Holzapfel Verlag, Berlin 1979, ISBN 3-921226-07-4.
  4. ^ Oberstleutnant a.D. Musikdirektor Werner Kunath: Zur Geschichte der Militärmusik in der NVA. In: Informationsheft Nr. 20 der Arbeitsgruppe Geschichte der NVA und Integration ehemaliger NVA-Angehöriger in Gesellschaft und Bundeswehr im Landesvorstand Ost des DBwV vom November 2007 (PDF, 148KB)[permanent dead link]

52°31′37.8″N 13°49′53″E / 52.527167°N 13.83139°E / 52.527167; 13.83139

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