OFFICIALlast verified 2026-10-18Kommando Spezialkräfte der Marine (KSM) — Kampfschwimmer
PFV I — minimum sports requirements
The first stage of German Navy combat-swimmer selection (PFV I) combines a sports test — 5,000 m run, 1,000 m swim, static and distance breath-hold diving, pull-ups and a 50 kg bench press — with a diving medical examination. All events must be completed within one morning; the published values are the absolute minimums.
Move the sliders to your latest results. The verdict updates instantly against the published standards — calculated in your browser, nothing stored.
Your profile
The bigger your shape, the closer you are to the target line.
minimumtargetyouPay · free · rates from 1 May 2026
What a combat swimmer (Kampfschwimmer) earns
- Bonus after passing selection (§ 43a BBesG)€6,000 one-off
- Bonus after training and posting (§ 43a BBesG)€8,000 one-off
- Annual bonus after 6 years (§ 43a BBesG)€10,000 – €13,000 per year
- Foreign deployment allowance, highest level (Auslandsverwendungszuschlag)€153 per day
Basic salary and rank supplements are advance payments (Abschlagszahlungen) under the BMI circular of 3 Sep 2025 until the 2025/2026 pay act is passed, so they may still change. Together, the combat swimmer post allowance (€225) and the special forces allowance are capped at €1,125 (§ 23m Abs. 3 EZulV). Years per step are our approximation of § 27 BBesG.
provisional = official source with a provisional legal status, a secondary source or our own calculation; see the sources.
- Rundschreiben BMI/BMF 3.9.2025, D3.30200/199#13, Anlage 7 (Abschlagszahlungen ab 1.5.2026) (Oct 18, 2026) provisional
- BBesG Anlage I — Bundesbesoldungsordnung A (Dienstgrade) (Oct 18, 2026)
- § 27 BBesG — Erfahrungsstufen (Jahre je Stufe: eigene Näherung) (Oct 18, 2026) provisional
- BBesG Anlage IX — Amtszulagen, Stellenzulagen (Oct 18, 2026)
- § 23m EZulV — Zulage für Spezialkräfte der Bundeswehr (Oct 18, 2026)
- § 40 BBesG — Familienzuschlag (Oct 18, 2026)
- § 23h EZulV — Fallschirmspringerzulage (Oct 18, 2026)
- § 43a BBesG — Prämien für Spezialkräfte (Oct 18, 2026)
- § 3 AuslVZV — Auslandsverwendungszuschlag (Oct 18, 2026)
The test, event by event
| Event | Minimum |
|---|---|
| 5,000 m run | 22:00 |
| 1,000 m swim | 24:00 |
| Static breath-hold dive | 60 s |
| Underwater distance swim | 30 m |
| Pull-ups (overhand) | 8 |
| Bench press 50 kg (reps) | 15 |
Also required
- Diving fitness (Taucherverwendungsfähigkeit), examined at the Naval Medical Institute in Kiel; the medical criteria are not public.
- Minimum age 17. Aptitude for an officer or NCO (Unteroffizier/Bootsmann) career is required.
- Commitment: civilians at least 15 years; serving temporary-career soldiers 7 years of service after training.
- Minimum — bundeswehr.de — Der Weg zu den Kampfschwimmern; Flyer KSM Kampfschwimmer (09.2024) (2025-04-14)
Questions
Is meeting the minimums a good result?
No. The flyer states the values are the absolute minimum requirements and would result in a grade of 4.4. A grading scale therefore exists, but the table is not public.
What follows PFV I?
PFV I plus diver course modules 1 and 2 lead to PFV II, a 6-week selection course (sport and infantry), then PFV III (diving in the hall). Training lasts about 3 years and includes 30 km of swimming in the Baltic over 2 days.
Where do the numbers come from?
From the Bundeswehr article "Der Weg zu den Kampfschwimmern" (14 April 2025) and the official KSM flyer (modified 4 September 2024); both give the same values. Older figures on fan portals contradict them and should not be used.
UNITED STATES
NETHERLANDS