Germany grants General Dynamics exemptions for troop support

The Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America concluded an agreement on July 29, 2026, in Berlin through an exchange of notes regarding the granting of exemptions and privileges to the company General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. The announcement of the Federal Foreign Office dated August 27, 2026, was published in the Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt) Part II No. 199, issued in Bonn on September 9, 2026. According to its entry-into-force clause, the agreement entered into force on July 29, 2026.

Legal Basis and Framework

The agreement is based on Article 72, Paragraph 4 of the Supplementary Agreement of August 3, 1959, to the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SA-NATO SOFA) as amended by the agreements of October 21, 1971, May 18, 1981, and March 18, 1993. It supplements the framework agreement of March 27, 1998, on exemptions for companies contracted to provide troop support services for US forces stationed in Germany.

• Contract record: DOCPER-TC-40-05
• US Verbal Note: Number 2026-0434 dated July 29, 2026
• Contract term: September 7, 2022, to August 24, 2026
• Signed for the Federal Foreign Office: Dr. Julia Monar

Services for the TBI Program

The contractor provides services for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, a key element of the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program commissioned by the US Congress. The activities include the development and monitoring of clinical studies, the education of soldiers and their family members regarding the TBI program, and the coordination of clinical care and medical services. The contractual activity is identified as “Family Service Coordinator.”

Scope of Exemptions

The contractor is granted the exemptions and privileges pursuant to Article 72, Paragraph 1, Letter b of the SA-NATO SOFA. Employees working exclusively for the company receive the same exemptions as members of the civilian component of the US forces, provided that the USA does not restrict these. The company operates exclusively for the US forces stationed in Germany, their civilian component, and their dependents.

The USA undertakes to ensure that German law is complied with during the execution of the contract and shall take all necessary measures to ensure this also applies to subcontractors and their employees. The agreement expires upon the termination of the contract; an extension is possible subject to certain deadlines, whereby the exemptions shall continue to apply for a maximum of two months after expiration. In the event of violations, either contracting party may terminate the agreement following consultations with a three-month notice period. The German and English texts are equally authentic.

Significance

The announcement documents the ongoing legal safeguarding of medical care for US troops in Germany. For the affected soldiers and their families, the agreement ensures clinical care for traumatic brain injuries provided by a private service provider, which enjoys tax and levy benefits under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement.

Source: Federal Law Gazette Part II, No. 199 of September 9, 2026, Announcement, pp. 1–3 (official reference: BGBl. 2026 II No. 199).