German Air Force
| German Air Force Luftwaffe | |
|---|---|
 Logo of the German Air Force | |
| Active | 1956–present |
| Country | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Role | Air Defence Force |
| Size | 35,559 personnel[1] 428 aircraft |
| Motto(s) | Team Luftwaffe |
| Colors | Blue, Grey and White |
| Anniversaries | 9 January 1956 |
| Engagements | Operation Deliberate Force Kosovo War War in Afghanistan |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lieutenant General Karl Müllner |
| Notable commanders | General Josef Kammhuber General Johannes Steinhoff, General Gerhard Back, 2004–2007 JFC Brunssum Commander |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Tornado |
| Electronic warfare | Tornado |
| Fighter | F-4 Phantom II, Eurofighter |
| Trainer | T-38 Talon, G-120, T-37 |
| Transport | CL-601, A310, A319, A340, Cougar, C-160 |
The German Air Force (Luftwaffe (German pronunciation: [ˈlʊftvafə] )) is the aerial warfare branch of the German Armed Forces. The term "Luftwaffe" is the name of both the former World War II-era Wehrmacht Luftwaffe and the post-World War II Bundeswehr Lutwaffe air forces.
The German Empire's World War I-era army air force, the Luftstreitkräfte, and naval air units were disbanded under the term of the Treaty of Versailles. After the defeat of the Third Reich the Luftwaffe was disbanded in 1946.[2] A new Bundeswehr Luftwaffe was founded in 1956 and remains as the German air force to the present day.
Luftwaffe is also the usual generic term in German speaking countries for any national military aviation service, and the names of air forces in other countries are usually translated into German as "Luftwaffe" (e.g. Royal Air Force is often translated as britische Luftwaffe). However, Luftstreitkräfte, or "air armed force", is also sometimes used as a translation of "air force". And because Luft means "air" and Waffe may be translated into English as either "weapon" or "arm", "Air Arm" may be considered the most literal English translation of Luftwaffe (cf. Fleet Air Arm).
Forerunners
Luftstreitkräfte 1910–1920
The forerunner of the Luftwaffe, the Imperial German Army Air Service, was founded in 1910 with the name Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches. It was renamed Luftstreitkräfte by the end of 1916, with the emergence of military aircraft.
After the defeat of Germany, the service was dissolved completely on 8 May 1920 under the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, which mandated the destruction of all its aircraft.
Interwar period 1920-1935
Since the Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany to have an air force, German pilots trained in secret. Initially, civil aviation schools within Germany were used, yet only light trainers could be used in order to maintain the façade that the trainees were going to fly with civil airlines such as Deutsche Luft Hansa. To train its pilots on the latest combat aircraft, Germany solicited the help of its future enemy, the USSR. A secret training airfield was established at Lipetsk in 1924 and operated for approximately nine years before being closed in 1933. This base was officially known as 4th squadron of the 40th wing of the Red Army.
Luftwaffe 1935-1946
In February 1935, Adolf Hitler ordered Hermann Göring to establish the Luftwaffe, breaking the Treaty of Versailles's ban on German military aviation. Before the official promulgation of Göring's new Luftwaffe in 1935, Germany had a paramilitary air force known as the Deutscher Luftsportverband (DLV: German air sports union).
Following the Munich Agreement, Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe be expanded fivefold.[3] At the outset of World War II, the Luftwaffe was one of the most modern, powerful, and experienced air forces in the world, and dominated the skies over much of continental Europe. Following the military failures on the Eastern Front, from 1942 onwards, the Luftwaffe went into a steady decline that saw it outnumbered and overwhelmed by the sheer number of Allied aircraft being deployed against it. Towards the end of the war, the Luftwaffe was no longer a major factor. After the German surrender the Luftwaffe was disbanded by Proclamation No. 2 of the Allied Control Council of 20 September 1945 and ceased to exist with Order No. 34 of the Allied Control Council of 20 August 1946.
History of the German Air Force
| Bundeswehr |
|---|
 |
| Branches |
| Organisational areas |
|
Joint Medical Service Joint Support Service |
German aviation in was severely curtailed, and military aviation was completely forbidden after the Luftwaffe had been disbanded by August 1946 by the Allied Control Commission. This changed in 1955 when West Germany joined NATO, as the Western Allies believed that Germany was needed to counter the increasing military threat posed by the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. Therefore on 9 January 1956 a new German Air Force called Luftwaffe was founded as arm of the new Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Force).
First Years
The first volunteers of the Luftwaffe arrived in January at the Nörvenich Air Base. The same year the Luftwaffe took delivery of its first aircraft the US-made Republic F-84 Thunderstreak. At first the Luftwaffe was divided in two operational commands, one in Northern Germany aligned with the British led Second Allied Tactical Air Force and one in Southern Germany aligned with the American led Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force.
In 1957 the Luftwaffe took command of the Army Air Defense Troops based in Rendsburg and began the expansion of its own air defense missile capabilities. The first squadron to be declared operational was the 61st Air Transport Squadron at Erding Air Base, followed by the 31st Fighter-Bomber Squadron at Büchel Air Base. In 1958 the Luftwaffe received its first conscripts. In 1959 the Luftwaffe declared the 11th Missile Group in Kaufbeuren armed with MGM-1 Matador surface-to-surface tactical nuclear cruise missiles operational. The same year the 71st Fighter Squadron equipped with North American F-86 fighters became operational at Ahlhorner Heide Air Base. All aircraft sported—and continue to sport—the Iron Cross on the fuselage, harking back to the days of World War I, while the national flag of West Germany is displayed on the tail.
Many well-known fighter pilots who had fought with the Luftwaffe in World War II joined the new post-war air force and underwent refresher training in the U.S. before returning to West Germany to upgrade on the latest U.S.-supplied hardware. These included Erich Hartmann, the highest-ever scoring ace (352 enemy aircraft destroyed), Gerhard Barkhorn (301), Günther Rall (275) and Johannes Steinhoff (176). Steinhoff, who suffered a crash in a Messerschmitt Me 262 shortly before the end of the war that resulted in lifelong scarring of his face and other parts of his body, would eventually become commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, with Rall as his immediate successor. Hartmann retired as an Oberst (colonel) in 1970 at age 48. Josef Kammhuber also served in the post-war Luftwaffe, retiring in 1962 as Inspekteur der Luftwaffe (Chief Inspector of the Air Force).
Cold War
In 1963 the Luftwaffe saw its first major reorganization. The two operational Air Force Group Commands - Command North and Command South were both split into two mixed Air Force divisions containing flying and air defense units and one Support division. Additionally a 7th Air Force division was raised in Schleswig-Holstein containing flying units, missile units, support units and the German Navy's naval aviation and placed under command of Allied Forces Baltic Approaches.
In 1960 the Luftwaffe received it first Lockheed F-104 Starfighter jets. The Starfighter remained in service for the entire duration of the Cold War, with the last being taken out of service in 1991. The Luftwaffe received a total of 916 Starfighter, 292 of which crashed resulting in the deaths of 116 pilots. The disastrous service record of the Starfighter led to the Starfighter crisis in 1966 as a reaction to 27 Starfighter crashes with 17 casualties in 1965 alone. The West German public referred to the Starfighter as the Witwenmacher (widow-maker), fliegender Sarg (flying coffin), Fallfighter (falling fighter) and Erdnagel (tent peg, literally "ground nail").
On 25 August 1966 the German Defense Minister Kai-Uwe von Hassel relieved the Inspekteur der Luftwaffe Generalleutnant [[Werner Panitzki], and transfered the Colonel Erich Hartmann, commanding officer of the 71st Fighter Squadron, as both had publicly criticized the acquisition of the Starfighter as a "purely political decision". On 2 September 1966 Johannes Steinhoff, with Günther Rall as deputy, became the new Inspekteur der Luftwaffe. Steinhoff and his deputy Günther Rall noted that the non-German F-104s proved much safer. The Americans blamed the high loss rate of the Luftwaffe F-104s on the extreme low-level and aggressive flying of German pilots rather than any faults in the aircraft.[4] Steinhoff and Rall went to America to learn to fly the Starfighter under Lockheed instruction and noted some specifics in the training (a lack of mountain and foggy-weather training), combined with handling capabilities (sharp start high G turns) of the aircraft that could cause accidents. Steinhoff and Rall therefore changed the training regimen for the F-104 pilots, and the accident rates fell to those comparable or better than other air forces. They also brought about the high level of training and professionalism seen today throughout the Luftwaffe, and the start of a strategic direction for Luftwaffe pilots to engage in tactical and combat training outside of Germany. However, the F-104 never lived down its reputation as a widow-maker and was replaced by the Luftwaffe with the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter and the Panavia Tornado fighter-bomber in many units much earlier than in other national air forces.
On Steinhoffs initative the Luftwaffe openened the German Air Force Command USA/Canada (Deutsches Luftwaffenkommando USA/Kanada) in Fort Bliss, where the Luftwaffe trained its missile and air defense troops, as well as pilots received their basic training. At the same time the Luftwaffe opened a Tactical Training Command in Beja, Portugal, where pilots trained Close Air Support missions.
Between 1967 and 1970 the Luftwaffe undertook a major reorganization of its forces. The two operational commands were disbanded and the four mixed Air Force divisions were divided into two flying divisions and two air defense divisions. The remainder of the units were divided into functional commands:
- Air Force Transport Command (Lufttransportkommando), with the air transport squadrons
- Air Force Operation Command (Luftwaffenführungsdienstkommando), with the signal regiments, the radar, and the signals intelligence units
- Air Force Training Command (Luftwaffenausbildungskommando), with the schools and training regiments
- Air Force Support Command (Luftwaffenunterstützungskommando), with all logistical, maintenance and repair units, and the Material Office of the Air Force.
Over the next decade the Luftwaffe received large amounts of new equipment including in 1968 the first C-160 Transall transport planes, in 1974 the F-4 Phantom II fighter-bombers, in 1978 the first Alpha Jet light attack jets and in 1979 the first of 212 Panavia Tornado fighters.
The air defense forces began to replace their Nike Hercules missile systems in 1986 with state of the art surface-to-air missile systems: first to arrive was the MIM-104 Patriot system, followed one year later by Roland short range missile system.
Nuclear sharing
Germany is a participating in NATO's nuclear sharing concept. Nuclear sharing is a concept, which involves member countries without nuclear weapons of their own in the planning for the use of nuclear weapons by NATO, and in particular provides for the armed forces of these countries to be involved in delivering these weapons in the event of their use.
Soon after its founding the German Air Force began to train with the US Seventeenth Air Force in handling, arming and delivering nuclear weapons. At first the F-104 Starfighter was intended to be used solely as a nuclear delivery platform, armed with nuclear air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, as well as nuclear bombs. The Tornado was the second plane the air force fielded capable of delivering nuclear ammunition, although it was limited to deliver B61 nuclear bombs.
From 1965 through 1970, two surface-to-surface missile wings (Flugkörpergeschwader) fielded 16 Pershing I missile systems with nuclear warheads under U.S. Army custody. In 1970, the system was upgraded to Pershing IA with 72 missiles. Although not directly affected by the 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Luftwaffe unilaterally agreed to the removal of the Pershing IA missiles from its inventory in 1991, and the missiles were destroyed. At the end of the Cold War more than a 100,000 soldiers served in the Luftwaffe.
The United States still lends nuclear weapons for hypothetical use by the Luftwaffe under the nuclear sharing agreement. In 2007, 22 B61 nuclear bombs were still kept in Germany, stored at the Büchel Air Base for use with Tornado IDS fighter-bombers of Jagdbombergeschwader 33. The American nuclear weapons formerly stored at Nörvenich Air Base, Ramstein Air Base and Memmingen Air Base were all withdrawn from Germany during the mid-and-late-1990s.
By international treaties between Germany and the "Big Four" powers in Europe (that formerly occupied Germany), East Germany is a nuclear-free zone. The Big Four powers are the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, and with the latter three having no nuclear weapons in Germany anymore.
Reunification
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After German reunification in October 1990, the aircraft and personnel of the former GDR air force, the Luftstreitkräfte der NVA were taken over by the German Air Force. The remnants of the East German Air Force were placed under the newly formed 5. Luftwaffendivision (5th Air Force Division) in Strausberg. In 1993 the division was renamed 3. Luftwaffendivision, moved to Gatow in Berlin and in 1995 assigned to NATO. Already in 1990 the East German plane markings were replaced by the Air Force Iron Cross, the first time Soviet-built aircraft had served in a NATO air force. However as the Luftstreitkräfte der NVA were supplied exclusively with Eastern Bloc-produced aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-17, MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29 fighters, most of the equipment was no compatible with the West German NATO equipment and therefore taken out of service and sold or given to new members of NATO in Eastern European, such as Poland and the Baltic states.
An exception to this was the Jagdfliegergeschwader 3 "Vladimir Komarov" (Fighter Wing 3 "Vladimir Komarov") in Preschen Air Base. The Jagdfliegergeschwader 3 flew brand new MiG-29 fighters. On 1 June 1993 the wing was renamed Jagdgeschwader 73 (Fighter Wing 73) and on 1 October 1994 completed its move to its new home at Laage Air Basee. The pilots of JG 73 were some of the most experienced MiG-29 pilots in the world. One of their primary duties was to serve as aggressor pilots, training other pilots in dissimilar combat tactics. The United States sent a group of fighter pilots to Germany during the Red October exercise to practice tactics against the aircraft they were most likely to meet in real combat. The MiG-29s of JG 73 were fully integrated into the Luftwaffe's air defense structure and the first Soviet Bloc aircraft to be declared operational within NATO.[5] With the introduction of the Eurofighter Typhoon imminent, the decision was taken to withdraw the MiG-29. All German MiG-29, save one, were sold to Poland for the symbolic price of 1€ apiece. On 9 August 2004 the last MiG-29's landed in Poland where they continue to serve in the 41st Tactical Squadron of the Polish Air Force.
The Balkans
The Luftwaffe experienced combat action for first time since World War II during September 1995[6] during Operation Deliberate Force, when six IDS Tornado fighter-bombers, equipped with forward looking infrared devices, and escorted by eight ECR Tornados, supported NATO's artillery missions on positions of the Bosnian Serbs around Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.[7][8]
In March 1999, the Luftwaffe became involved in direct combat role as part of the Kosovo War along with the other NATO powers. This event was noted as significant in the British press with "The Sun"'s running the headline "Luftwaffe and the RAF into battle side by side".[9] The Luftwaffe sent in the Fighter Bomber Wing 32, equipped with ECR Tornadoes, and this unit flew missions to suppress enemy air defences in and around Kosovo.
These fighter-bombers were equipped with an electronic countermeasures pod, one AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile for self-defence, and an AGM-88 HARM air-to-ground missile (anti-radar). The bomber wing flew 2108 hours and 446 sorties, firing 236 HARM missiles at hostile targets. No manned Luftwaffe planes were lost in combat during this campaign.[10]
2000s
In 2005 and 2008, Luftwaffe F-4F Phantom II fighter planes took part in the Baltic Air Policing operation (of NATO), and these fighters were supplemented in 2009 by units flying the Typhoon.[11][12]
In 2006, to support military operations in Afghanistan, the Luftwaffe sent over several Panavia Tornado reconnaissance planes from Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" (the 51st Reconnaissance Wing "Immelmann"), stationed in Mazar-i-Sharif, Northern Afghanistan.[13] There have also been assorted German Army helicopters flying from the Luftwaffe Air Base in Mazar-i-Sharif. Also, Luftwaffe C-160 Transall have flown transport plane missions in and around Afghanistan.
Since the 1970s, the Luftwaffe of West Germany and later the reunited Germany (as well as many other European air forces) has actively pursued the construction of European internationally-made warplanes such as the Panavia Tornado and the Eurofighter Typhoon introduced into the Luftwaffe in 2006.
On 13 January 2004, the Minister of Defense, Peter Struck, announced major changes in the future of the German armed forces. A major part of this announcement was a plan to cut the number of fighter planes from 426 in early 2004, to 265 by 2015. Assuming that the plans to order 180 Typhoons is carried out in full, and all of the F-4 Phantoms are removed from service, this would cut the number of Tornado fighter-bombers down to just 85.[14]
In the past, the Bundesmarine's naval air wing (the Marineflieger) received 112 Tornado IDS planes. However, during late 2004, the last unit of Bundesmarine Tornadoes was disbanded. All of the maritime combat role was assigned to the Luftwaffe, and one unit of this has had its Tornadoes fighters equipped to carry Kormoran II missiles and American HARM missiles.
Structure of the German Air Force (August 2012)
The current commander of the German Air Force is Lieutenant General Karl Müllner. Upon the retirement of Lieutenant General Aarne Kreuzinger-Janik on 30 April 2012, Müllner became the 15th Inspector of the Air Force (Inspekteur der Luftwaffe). [15]
Air Force Command
All combat forces of the German Air Force fall in peacetime under the Air Force Command. Similar to the Air Staff of the United States Air Force, the German Air Force Command is a force providing command, not an operational command. The Air Force Command is tasked with ensuring the combat readiness of the German Air Force combat units, which during operations would either be commanded by a NATO command or the Joint Operations Command of the Bundeswehr. The Air Force command directly controls three higher commands and three Air Divisions (Luftwaffendivision).
Subordinate elements are:
- Air Force Operations Command
- German Joint Force Air Component Command Headquarters (JFAC HQ)
- National Air Defense Command Center
- Air Force Support Command
| 1st Air Division in Southern Germany | 2nd Air Division in Eastern Germany | 4th Air Division in Western Germany | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Command and Control Section 1 | Air Command and Control Section 3 | Air Command and Control Section 2 | |
Surface-to-Air Missile Wing 5
|
Surface-to-Air Missile Wing 2
|
Surface-to-Air Missile Wing 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| German Air Force Tactical Training Center Italy | Air Force Regiment "Friesland" |
Air Force Office
The German Air Force Office is responsible for supporting the air force combat units. Main tasks are maintenance and logistic support and provision of basic training and education.
Subordinate elements are:
- Surgeon General of the Air Force
- Bundeswehr Air Traffic Services Office
- Air Force Support Group (supporting the Air Force Command and Air Force Office)
- Legal Advisor Center
| Air Force Training Command | Air Force Weapon Systems Command |
|---|---|
|
|
North American training centers
In light of the destroyed infrastructure of West Germany post–World War II, the restrictions on aircraft production placed on Germany and the later restrictive flying zones available for training pilots, the reconstructed Luftwaffe trained most of its pilots tactically away from Germany, mainly in the United States and Canada where most of its aircraft were sourced.
During the 1960s and 1970s, a very large number of Luftwaffe jet crashes—the Luftwaffe suffered a 36 percent crash rate for F-84F Thunderstreaks and an almost 30 percent loss of F-104 Starfighters—created considerable public demand for moving Luftwaffe combat training centers away from Germany.
As a result, the Luftwaffe set up two tactical training centres: one, like those of many of the NATO forces, at the Royal Canadian Air Force base at Goose Bay; and the second in a unique partnership with the United States Air Force at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico (F-104 pilots had already been trained at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, since 1964). Both facilities provide access to large unpopulated areas, where tactical and combat training can take place without danger to large populations.
In September 2004, the Luftwaffe's chief of staff, Klaus-Peter Stieglitz, announced a reduction in its training program of roughly 20%.
On 1 May 1996, the Luftwaffe established the German Air Force Tactical Training Center (TTC) in concert with the United States Air Force 20th Fighter Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, which provides aircrew training in the F-4F Phantom II. The TTC serves as the parent command for two German air crew training squadrons. The F-4 Training Squadron oversees all German F-4 student personnel affairs and provides German instructor pilots to cooperate in the contracted F-4 training program provided by the U.S. Air Force (20th Fighter Squadron). A second TTC unit, the Tornado Training Squadron, provides academic and tactical flying training, by German air force instructors, for German Tornado aircrews.
The first contingent of Tornado aircraft arrived at Holloman in March 1996. More than 300 German air force personnel are permanently assigned at Holloman to the TTC, the only unit of its kind in the United States. The German Air Force Flying Training Center activated on 31 March 1996, with German Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Portz and U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Ryan present. The Luftwaffe has since stationed up to 800 personnel at Holloman for training exercises, due to limited training space in Europe.
In 2004, the Luftwaffe announced a reduction in its training program. By the end of 2006, 650 Luftwaffe personnel and 25 Tornado aircraft were assigned to Holloman.
Reform 2011
On 20 September 2011 defense minister Thomas de Maizière announced that the Air Force would shrink to 23,000 soldiers and thus have to undertake a major restructuring of its structure. Air Force Command and Air Force Office will be disbanded and replaced by a newly formed Air Force Command with three subordinate commands: Air Force Operations Center, Operational Forces Command, Support Forces Command. The three Air divisions, the Air Force Training Command and Air Force Weapon Systems Command will be disbanded as well.
The combat forces will see a major reduction with the three Surface-to-Air Missile units merged into a single wing in Husum in Northern Germany. The wing will field 14 MIM-104 Patriot and 4 MANTIS systems. The three Air Transport Wings will be merged into a single wing based at Wunstorf Air Base, which will field 40 A400M Atlas transport planes. The Luftwaffe will field 3 Multirole Eurofighter Wings, each with two squadrons for a total of 140 Eurofighter Typhoon. A Fighter-Bomber Wing fielding 85 Panavia Tornado will remain in service at Büchel Air Base.[16]
Air bases
Currently the air force uses 13 air bases, 2 of which host no flying units. Furthermore the air force is present on 3 civil airports:
| Name[17][18] | Major Tenants | ICAO- Code[17][18] |
IATA- Code[19] |
Runways Code[17][18] |
Year | Nearest City[17] | State | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direction[17][18] | Cover[17][18] | Size[17][18] | |||||||
| Berlin Tegel Airport | MOD Transport Wing | EDDT | TXL | 08L/26R | Asphalt | 3022x45 | 1948 | Berlin |  Berlin
|
| 08R/26L | Asphalt | 2427x45 | |||||||
| Büchel Air Base | Fighter-Bomber Wing 33 | ETSB | – | 03/21 | Asphalt | 2507x45 | 1955 | Büchel |  Rhineland-Palatinate
|
| Cologne Bonn Airport | MOD Transport Wing | EDDK | CGN | 14L/32R | Asphalt | 3815x60 | 1938 | Cologne |  North Rhine-Westphalia
|
| 06/24 | Concrete | 2459x45 | |||||||
| 14R/32L | Asphalt | 1863x45 | |||||||
| Diepholz Air Base | II Sqn./Helicopter Wing 64 | ETND | – | 08/26 | Asphalt | 1283x45 | 1936 | Diepholz |  Lower Saxony
|
| Erding Air Base | Surface-to-Air Missile Wing 5 Maintenance Regiment 1 |
ETSE | – | 08/26 | Concrete | 2521x30 | 1935 | Erding | .svg){kind=small} Bavaria
|
| Hohn Air Base | Air Transport Wing 63 | ETNH | – | 08/26 | Concrete | 2440x30 | Hohn |  Schleswig-Holstein
| |
| Holzdorf Air Base | Helicopter Wing 64 | ETSH | – | 09/27 | Asphalt | 2419x30 | 1974 | Holzdorf |  Saxony-Anhalt
|
| Jever Air Base | I Btn./German Air Force Regiment | ETNJ | – | 10/28 | Concrete | 2480x30 | 1936 | Schortens | Lower Saxony
|
| Landsberg-Lech Air Base | Air Transport Wing 61 | ETSA | – | 07/25 | Concrete | 2066x30 | 1935 | Landsberg | Bavaria
|
| Lechfeld Air Base | Fighter-Bomber Wing 32 | ETSL | – | 03/21 | Concrete | 2678x30 | 1912 | Klosterlechfeld | Bavaria
|
| Neuburg Air Base | Fighter Wing 74 | ETSN | – | 09/27 | Asphalt | 2440x30 | 1960 | Neuburg | Bavaria
|
| Nörvenich Air Base | Fighter-Bomber Wing 31 | ETNN | QOE | 07/25 | Asphalt | 2439x45 | 1954 | Nörvenich | North Rhine-Westphalia
|
| Rostock-Laage Airport | Fighter Wing 73 | ETNL | RLG | 10/28 | Concrete | 2500x45 | 1984 | Laage | .svg){kind=small} Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
|
| Schleswig Air Base | Reconnaissance Wing 51 | ETNS | WBG | 05/23 | Asphalt | 2439x30 | Schleswig | Schleswig-Holstein
| |
| Wittmundhafen Air Base | Fighter Wing 71 | ETNT | – | 08/26 | Asphalt | 2440x30 | 1951 | Wittmund | Lower Saxony
|
| Wunstorf Air Base | Air Transport Wing 62 | ETNW | – | 08/26 | Asphalt | 1877x46,5 | 1936 | Wunstorf | Lower Saxony
|
| 03/21 | Asphalt | 1699x47,5 | |||||||
| 08/26 | Gras | 1088x40 | |||||||
Personnel
The Air Force currently has a strength of approximately 36,000 soldiers. The civil personnel within the Air Force is currently being reduced to 5,950 officials and employees. Most of the civilian employees work in maintenance and the Air Force Fire Department. On 20 September 2011 defense minister Thomas de Maizière announced that the Air Force would shrink to 23,000 soldiers.
Symbols, emblems and uniform
Roundel and registration number
Originally German Air Force aircraft carried an Iron Cross as an identifying feature on both sides on the rear of the fuselage and a small German flag painted on the vertical stabilizer. Each aircraft also carried a registration number consisting of 2 letters, which identified the service and combat wing, followed by three numbers identifying the squadron and the number of the plane within the squadron.
This system was changed in 1968. The large Iron Cross and registration number have since been replaced on all aircraft by a four number registration code separated by an Iron Cross in the middle: the first two numbers identify the type of aircraft and the second two numbers are a continual serial number. When writing the registration number the Iron Cross is written as a "+". I.e. the Tornado IDS of the Air Force are numbered from 43+01 to 46+22, while the Tornado ECR of the Air Force are numbered from 46+23 to 46+57. The numbers from 30+01 to 33+99 are being used for the Eurofighter. [20]
-
Tornado 43+72 -
Tornado 44+42 -
Tornado 44+54 -
Tornado 45+76 -
Tornado 45+91 -
Tornado 46+51
.JPEG)
Uniform
The ranks of the Air Force are identical to the ranks of the German Army. The Air Force field dress is the same as the army field dress. The dress uniform of the Air Force is dark blue with gold-yellow wings as collar patches. As headdress a dark blue side cap or dark blue peaked cap can be worn. Members of the German Air Force Regiment wear a dark blue beret.
Aircraft inventory
Figures are sourced from Flightglobal.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity[21] | Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | ||||||||
| F-4 Phantom II |  United States
|
Fighter Aircraft | F-4F | 21 | Replacement with Eurofighter underway, last unit decommissioning on June 30, 2013. | |||
| Panavia Tornado |  Germany
|
Electronic Warfare Ground-attack |
ECR IDS |
31 124 |
Fleet to be reduced to 85 and to be upgraded to ASSTA 3.0 standard by 2018.[22] | |||
| Eurofighter Typhoon | Germany
|
Fighter Aircraft | Typhoon | 68 | 143 planned. | |||
| Transport aircraft | ||||||||
| Global Express 5000 |  Canada
|
VIP Transport | 4 | |||||
| Airbus A319CJ | Germany
|
VIP Transport | 2 | |||||
| Airbus A340 |  France
|
VIP Transport | A340-313 | 2 | ||||
| Transall C-160 | Germany
|
Tactical Transport | C-160D | 60 | To be replaced by 40 A400M. | |||
| Airbus A400M |  Spain
|
Tactical Transport | A400M | 0 | 40 planned. | |||
| Airbus A310 | France
|
Strategic Transport Aerial Refueling |
A310-304 A310-304MRTT |
1 4 |
||||
| Helicopters | ||||||||
| Bell UH-1 Iroquois | United States
|
Utility Helicopter | UH-1D | 54[21] | To be taken out of service. | |||
| Eurocopter AS532 Cougar | France
|
VIP Transport | AS532U2 | 3 | ||||
| Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion | United States
|
Transport Helicopter | CH-53GA | 64 | Transferred from the Army. | |||
| Training aircraft | ||||||||
| T-6 Texan II | United States
|
Basic Trainer | T-6A | 69 | Based at Sheppard Air Force Base with USAF markings. | |||
| T-38 Talon | United States
|
Jet Trainer | T-38A | 35 | Based at Sheppard Air Force Base with USAF markings. Upgrade to T-38C planned. | |||
| UAVs | ||||||||
| EuroHawk | United States Germany
|
SIGINT | RQ-4B Block 20 | 1 | 5 on order. | |||
| Heron |  Israel
|
reconnaissance | IAI Heron | 3 | ||||
|
-_by-Raboe_02.jpg)
See also
- Glossary of German military terms
- Kommando LSK/LV
- Luftstreitkräfte der NVA
- List of military aircraft of Germany
- Luftwaffenmuseum, Berlin
References
Notes
- ^ Die Stärke der Streitkräfte (May 2011) Template:De icon
- ^ Official dissolution of the Wehrmacht, including the Luftwaffe, began with Proclamation No. 2 of the Allied Control Council on 20 September 1945 and was not complete until Order No. 34 of 20 August 1946. See http://www.verfassungen.de/de/de45-49/kr-gesetz34.htm.
- ^ Ketley,Barry, and Rolfe, Mark. Luftwaffe Fledglings 1935–1945: Luftwaffe Training Units and their Aircraft (Aldershot, GB: Hikoki Publications, 1996), p.3.
- ^ German Starfighter losses
- ^ MiG-29s leave Luftwaffe – Flug Revue, April 2004
- ^ The Victoria Advocate, 2 September 1995
- ^ Owen, Robert (2000). Deliberate Force: a case study in effective air campaigning. DIANE Publishing, p. 246. ISBN 1-58566-076-0
- ^ Trevor, Findlay (1996). Challenges for the new peacekeepers. Oxford University Press, p. 41. ISBN 0-19-829199-X
- ^ "Historic day for Germany". BBC News. 25 March 1999. Retrieved 1 November 2006.
- ^ The History of Fighter Bomber Wing 32
- ^ "Germans takes over Baltic NATO mission". The Baltic Times. Baltic News Ltd. 29 June 2005. Retrieved 1 November 2006.
- ^ "Germany hails Eurofighter's Baltic debut as 'mission accomplished'". Flight International. Dan Thisdell. 12 November 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ Recce-Tornados in Afghanistan
- ^ "Germany Announces Major Armed Forces Cuts". Air Forces Monthly. Key Publishing. March 2004. p. 8.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ http://www.bmvg.de/portal/a/bmvg/!ut/p/c4/NYzBCsIwEET_KJsUSsWbpRfBkyJaL5KmS1xokrLdxosfbwo6A28ODwYeUBptJm-FUrQT3KF3tB_eagjZq5lxWfA3gUSQpjV6jMqye1F-VtpUcNteRlQuRZSNglGo0LOVxGpOLNNmVuZiFI3Qa9O12uh_zGd3qU_NtTF1d2zPMIdw-ALz__PJ/
- ^ Die Neuausrichtung der Bundeswehr (PDF). Germany: German Ministry of Defense. June 2012. pp. 47–55.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b c d e f g Mil AIP
- ^ a b c d e f DoD Information Publication (Enroute) Supplement Europe, North Africa and Middle East
- ^ http://gc.kls2.com/airport/
- ^ http://www.jetjournal.net/content/view/3351/51/1/1/
- ^ a b "World Air Forces 2011-2012". Flightglobal.com, 5 December 2011.
- ^ http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ain-defense-perspective/2012-07-20/eads-upgrades-german-tornado-fighter-bombers
Selected bibliography
Hundreds of books, magazines and articles have been written about the Luftwaffe. A select few are listed here.
- Amadio, Jill (2002), Günther Rall: A Memoir, Seven Locks Press. ISBN 0-9715533-0-0.
- Philpott, Bryan (1986), History of the German Air Force, Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-50293-7.
External links
| Leadership | |
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| Equipment | |
| Ranks and insignia | |
