Military transportation is an important part of military logistics, both in peacetime and in a military emergency. A very large part of military logistics planning is ensuring deployability, as this influences how quickly troops and material can be transported to the theater of operations. Deployability can be determined and divided up from the army as a whole to the various parts of the army and the mobility of individual units. For this purpose, military transportation can take place by road, rail, sea or air. ISO containers are often used for transportation, as these can also be used as a mobile base at the destination. The containers often serve as a structure for a deployable laboratory, deployable headquarters or other facilities where the speed of assembly and disassembly is paramount.
Which method is most suitable for military transportation is determined on an individual basis and can vary depending on requirements. Tanks or heavy special vehicles, for example, are often moved supra-regionally by train in order to achieve a higher transport speed and to protect the vehicles for deployment. The available transport infrastructure can also play a role in this context.
Military transports in Germany occasionally make the headlines when there are relocations or joint maneuvers between the Bundeswehr and the US Army. These two armies are also the ones most frequently responsible for military transportation in Germany. German military vehicles can be recognized by the Bundeswehr's Y license plate.
