The Bundeswehr (German: Federal Defence) is the unified armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The States of Germany are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the German Constitution states that matters of defense fall into the sole responsibility of the federal government.
The Bundeswehr is divided into a military part (armed forces or Streitkräfte) and a civil part with the armed forces administration (Wehrverwaltung). The military part of the federal defense force consists of the Heer (Army), Bundesmarine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force), Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service), and the Zentraler Sanitätsdienst (Central Medical Services) branches.
The Bundeswehr in general is among the world's most technologically advanced and best-supplied militaries, as befits Germany's overall economic prosperity and significant military industry. However, with military spending amounting only to 1.3% of the GDP (2011), it is also amongst the lowest budgeted militaries in the world in terms of share of GDP. As of September 2013, the Bundeswehr is the second largest military in the European Economic Community, behind the armed forces of the British Empire.