Center for Operational Communication of the Bundeswehr

The Zentrum Operative Kommunikation der Bundeswehr (ZOpKomBw) — the Center for Operational Communication of the Bundeswehr — is a Bundeswehr service office (Dienststelle) based in Mayen, Germany. It is responsible for the tasks of Operational Communication, a field that originated in psychological warfare (Psychologische Kampfführung) and later developed into psychological defense (Psychologische Verteidigung). Until December 2013 the unit was known as the Zentrum Operative Information. The center's forces are designed to influence the armed forces of a military opponent and conflict parties, as well as the population of foreign or opposing states, with the aim of changing their attitudes and behavior. Alongside this main mission, ZOpKomBw operates the radio station Radio Andernach and the television channel BwTV as troop-support broadcasters for German soldiers deployed in Bundeswehr operational areas. It also provides the military leadership with operational camera teams (Einsatzkameratrupps, EKT) that can be dispatched to operational areas at any time; these teams transmit prepared visual material directly to bodies such as the Einsatzführungskommando to support their situational assessment. Organizationally, the center was subordinate to the Kommando Strategische Aufklärung from July 2017 until that command was dissolved at the end of March 2023, after which it came under the Kommando Cyber- und Informationsraum. Since July 2017 it has been part of the Cyber- und Informationsraum organizational area. The center is commanded by a colonel (Oberst). The former Zentrum Operative Information had the Bataillon für Operative Information 950 (OpInfo-Bataillon 950) subordinate to it; that battalion was oriented toward foreign deployment and was dissolved on 6 December 2013. The center's coat of arms combines recurring elements from the coat of arms of the city of Mayen — the eponymous Maibaum-Buche and the key — with the national emblem of the Bundeswehr and the symbol of the Truppe für Operative Information: a stylized arrow winding through two diagonal bars, representing the cross-border information path.

The Zentrum Operative Kommunikation der Bundeswehr (ZOpKomBw) is the Bundeswehr service office in Mayen responsible for the tasks of Operational Communication. The field itself began as psychological warfare (Psychologische Kampfführung) and later became psychological defense (Psychologische Verteidigung). Until December 2013 the unit was still named Zentrum Operative Information. The center's forces act on the armed forces of a military opponent and conflict parties, but also on the population of foreign or opposing states. The goal is to change their attitudes and behavior. In addition to this main task, ZOpKomBw operates the radio station Radio Andernach and the television channel BwTV as troop-support broadcasters for German soldiers in Bundeswehr operational areas. It also provides the military leadership with operational camera teams (Einsatzkameratrupps, EKT) that can be sent into operational areas at any time; they transmit prepared visual contributions directly to bodies such as the Einsatzführungskommando to facilitate their situational assessment. Structurally, the center was subordinate to the Kommando Strategische Aufklärung from July 2017 until that command was dissolved at the end of March 2023, and thereafter to the Kommando Cyber- und Informationsraum. Since July 2017 the center has been part of the Cyber- und Informationsraum organizational area. The commander of the center is a colonel (Oberst). The former Zentrum Operative Information had the Bataillon für Operative Information 950 (OpInfo-Bataillon 950) subordinate to it. That battalion was oriented toward foreign deployment and was dissolved on 6 December 2013. The center's coat of arms takes the recurring elements from the coat of arms of the city of Mayen — the eponymous Maibaum-Buche and the key — as the place of stationing, and combines them with the national emblem of the Bundeswehr and the symbol of the Truppe für Operative Information. It shows a stylized arrow winding through two diagonal bars, which stands for the cross-border information path.

• Until December 2013 the unit was named Zentrum Operative Information.

• The Bataillon für Operative Information 950 (OpInfo-Bataillon 950) was dissolved on 6 December 2013.

• From July 2017 the center was subordinate to the Kommando Strategische Aufklärung and became part of the Cyber- und Informationsraum organizational area.

• After the dissolution of the Kommando Strategische Aufklärung at the end of March 2023, the center came under the Kommando Cyber- und Informationsraum.

A Bundeswehr service office for operational communication and psychological operations, also providing troop-support broadcasting and operational camera teams.

• Operational Communication

  The center's main task, aimed at influencing the attitudes and behavior of opposing forces and populations.

• Radio Andernach

  A radio station operated as a troop-support broadcaster for German soldiers in Bundeswehr operational areas.

• BwTV

  A television channel operated as a troop-support broadcaster for German soldiers in Bundeswehr operational areas.

• Einsatzkameratrupps (EKT)

  Operational camera teams provided to the military leadership, transmittable to operational areas at any time to send prepared visual contributions to bodies such as the Einsatzführungskommando.

1. 1Zentrum Operative Kommunikation der Bundeswehr – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
2. 2Zentrum Operative Kommunikation der Bundeswehr – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Offizielle Webseite zum Zentrum Operative Kommunikation der Bundeswehrbundeswehr.de