- This article is about the current German air force; for the Wehrmacht air arm see Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht).
- For other uses of the word Luftwaffe see Luftwaffe (Disambiguation).
The German air force (German ⓘ IPA: ['lʊftvafə]) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... German armed forces components (helicopters, drones) and navy (helicopters, drones, patrol aircraft)
The Luftwaffe was raised as the West German air force in 1956, a year after the West German parliament (Bundestag) ratified the Paris Agreements which provided for limited West German sovereignty and made it possible to join NATO and WEU. During the Cold War the Bundeswehr was the backbone of NATO's conventional defense in Central Europe. The Luftwaffe owned significant numbers of tactical combat aircraft and was and still is fully integrated in NATO command structures.
The end of the Cold War and the German reunification marked a historic point for the Luftwaffe and was the start of a process of transformation and reorganization. As the possibility of a major conflict in Europe has become highly unlikely, the Luftwaffe has been significantly reduced in numbers and prepared for peacekeeping and peacemaking tasks. Germany also gained full souvereignty over its airspace, which was throughout the Cold War defended by its NATO allies.
The Gulf War saw the first deployment of armed German air force assets outside German borders, when Alpha Jets were sent to Turkey and Patriot surface-to-air missiles to the defense of Israel. German aircraft saw its first combat deployment during the Kosovo War. German reconnaissance Tornados and transport aircraft were deployed during the Bosnian War.
German aircraft were engaged in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions both within German borders and abroad in support of the United Nations since 1960. Since 2007, Luftwaffe reconnaissance Tornados are stationed in Afghanistan besides C-160 Transall transport aircraft and ground personnel.
Recent years saw a continuing process of restructuring and the introduction of new equipment.
History edit
The Luftwaffe and its predecessors edit
The Rudel Scandal edit
Decree on tradition of 1981 edit
Raising the Luftwaffe: 1950 - 1970 edit
"Rearming Germany was a long and complicated process. It was especially difficult to create a new German air force. The army generals who dominated the Bundeswehr cadre did not even want an air force but rather a small arm air corps. Moreover, Adenauer's defense staff failed to adequately budget or plan for a new air force. As rearmament began, US Air Force leaders, working closely with the small Luftwaffe staff in West Germany's shadow Defense Ministry, basically took charge of the process to ensure that the Germans built a new Luftwaffe on the American model - a large, multipurpose force organized as an independent service and fully integrated into NATO. The first Bundesluftwaffe commanders allied themselves to the Americans, often in opposition to their army comrades, to overcome the political problems caused by Adenauer's poor defense planning and create a modern air force on American lines."[1]
Consolidation: 1970 - 1990 edit
edit
Unified German air force and disarmement edit
| Military personnel | Civilian personnel | Combat aircraft | Flying wings | SAM systems | SAM groups | Radar wings | Commands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| before 1990 | 110000 | 21500 | 755 | 18 | 176 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
Current Forces edit
Transformation edit
Strategic mobility edit
Since its beginnings, the air-transport has been the most taxed and deployed in support of numerous humanitarian missions throughout the world. ... Until delivery of the A400M the German government chooses to participate in the NATO SALIS agreement, at least until 2015. A permanent solution for over-sized cargo has yet to be found. http://www.casr.ca/bg-airlift-nato.htm
Introducing the Eurofighter edit
Other new weapon systems edit
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles edit
In 2010, the 51st Reconnaissane Wing "Immelmann" will receive the first out of five UAV HALE (High-Altitude-Long Endurance) SIGINT EuroHawk[2]. The other four will join the service in 2013. These drones will replace the Navy operated BR 1150 SIGINT in the signal intelligence role, which are due to phase out in 2010, leaving a gap in capability. Further EuroHawks equipped for photo-reconnaissance are planned for the future[3]. Also in 2010, five UAV MALE (Medium-Altitude Long Endurance) will enter service, although there's no final decision on which system will be procured[4]. Of high probability is the adoption of the MQ-9 Reaper, already in service with the Italian and Royal Air Force[5]. The MQ-9 Reaper is still competing with the Heron TP by IAI, teaming with Rheinmetall[6]. The initial capability is to be extended in the future and one squadron of AG 51 to be reequipped with UAVs. Domestic research on UCAVs is also progressing. The planned UAV fleet will be unarmed and only used for reconnaissance, however armed Luftwaffe UAVs will be a possibility in the future[7].
Surface-to-Air edit
Air-to-Surface edit
The German air force is acquiring a variety of new air-to-ground ammunitions, including TAURUS KEPD 350 air launched cruise missile, HOPE/HOSBO smart glide bombs and LJDAM laser guidance kits.
Air-to-Air edit
The Luftwaffe has completed the transition from the AIM-9L Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile to IRIS-T. The medium-range AIM-120 AMRAAM will be replaced by the MBDA Meteor.
Deployments edit
Kosovo edit
Afghanistan edit
Training edit
Budget edit
Structure edit
Personnel edit
Political issues edit
Bombodrome edit
Remaing nuclear weapons edit
Defense against hijacked airplanes edit
Tornado missions during the G8 conference edit
Mölders controversy edit
German "Air Force One" controversy edit
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In 2002, former German president Johannes Rau, supported by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, initiated a proposal for new paint scheme for the eight aircraft in service with the Federal Ministry of Defense's special flight used as government shuttles[8]. The previous paint scheme featured the inscription Luftwaffe in large letters above the forward windows on both sides, as the aircraft formally belongs to the German air force. President Rau's proposal was to replace the Luftwaffe inscription with Bundesrepublik Deutschland, to characterize the aircraft used for the transport of politicians as carriers of political representatives, and not as aircraft of a genuine military usage. According to statements by president Rau relayed through his office, this was done to ensure that foreign audiences receive the arrival of such an airplane as the arrival of a high political representative of Germany. Furthermore, government transport aircraft were prominent diplomatic symbol and as such, there should be "written on them, what is in them"[9]. Role models for such an endeavour were Air Force One, the aerial transport used by the President of the United States, and the aircraft used by the heads of state of the Russian Federation and France. Furthermore Rau was quoted, that
... he travels to countries, where it isn't politically appropriate to use an aircraft wich sides read Luftwaffe.[10]
The proposal was resisted by ministry of defense officials, military officers and the CDU opposition, citing the enterprise's high cost (ca. 150.000€ for one A310, the earliest date for a new paintwork was scheduled in 2009.) in contrast to a continuously strained military budget and an instance of unneceassary political correctness. Additionally, a presidential decree by the first Federal German president, Theodor Heuss, after which the second governmental A310 is named, would have been to be recalled in order to entirely remove the Luftwaffe inscription[11]. A compromise was worked out and all German air force aircraft used by politicians were to be repainted during a scheduled overhaul, 60 months ahead of their scheduled repainting. The new paintwork features a large inscription Bundesrepublik Deutschland on both sides; the Luftwaffe marking has been reduced in size and moved on the fin. A ribbon in the colours of the German tricolour has been added. The military aircraft registration with the stylized Iron Cross, however, makes these aircraft easily identifiable as belonging to the German air force fleet. In return, it was Theodor Heuss' presidential order, which established the Iron Cross as the emblem of the West German armed forces[12]. In 2007, the German parliament agreed on technical and economical grounds to replace both Airbus A310 VIP governmental transports, which were acquired after reunification from the dissolved state airline of East Germany, by former Lufthansa Airbus A340-300 starting in 2010. The six Challenger CL-601 will be replaced by two Airbus A319CJ and four Bombardier Global 5000. The total cost for the replacement program amounts to €985m [13][14]. Previous news reports leaked out serious technical problems with the nearly 20 year old Challenger fleet, including emergency landings and life threatening emergencies involving then foreign minister Joschka Fischer[15].
Current major systems edit
| System | Origin | Type | Versions | In service 2008 | In service 2013 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A310 |  |
transport tanker VIP transport MEDEVAC |
A310-304 VIP A310 MRTT |
2 5 |
0 5 |
to be replaced by A340 |
| Airbus A319CJ | |
VIP transport | Airbus A319-114CJ | 0 | 2 | |
| Airbus A340 | |
VIP transport | Airbus A340-300 | 0 | 2 | |
| Airbus A400M | |
transport/tanker | Airbus A400M | 0 | 31 | to be 60 |
| Bell UH-1 Iroquois |  |
utility helicopter | UH-1D | 73 | built by Dornier, to be replaced by NH90 | |
| Bombardier Challenger 600 |  |
VIP transport | CL-601 | 6 | 0 | to be replaced by A319CJ and Global 5000 |
| Global Express 5000 | |
VIP transport | Bombardier Global Express 5000 | 0 | 4 | |
| Cessna T-37 Tweet | |
trainer | T-37B | 35 | 0 | Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, USAF registered, to be replaced by T-6 Texan II |
| Eurocopter Cougar | |
VIP transport helicopter | AS 532U-2 | 3 | 3 | |
| Eurofighter EF-2000 | |
multirole fighter | 52 | 131 | to be 180 | |
| General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper or IAI Heron |
or  |
reconnaissance UAV | 0 | 5 | ||
| Grob G-120 |  |
trainer | G-120 | 6 | 6 | civilian, jointly operated with Lufthansa |
| Hawker Beechcraft T-6 Texan II | |
trainer | T-6A | Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, USAF registered | ||
| McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II | |
fighter | F-4F ICE | 53 | 0 | in service until 2012, to be replaced by Eurofighter Typhoon |
| Northrop Grumman/EADS EuroHawk | |
SIGINT UAV | RQ-4B Block 20 | 0 | 5 | to be built by Northrop Grumman and equipped with an EADS reconnaissance payload |
| Northrop T-38 Talon | |
trainer | T-38A, T-38C, AT-38 | 46 | 46 | Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, USAF registered |
| NHIndustries NH90 | |
transport SAR/CSAR |
NH90 TTH | 42 on order (+12 options) for air force, 80 for army | ||
| Raytheon MIM-104 Patriot | |
SAM | PAC-3 | 24 | 24 | 192 launchers, to be partially replaced by MEADS |
| Panavia Tornado PA-200 |   |
SEAD attack attack/reconnaissance |
ECR IDS IDS RECCE |
33 104 56 |
90 | IDS to be replaced by Eurofighter, IDS RECCE partially by UAVs |
| Transall C-160 |  |
tactical transport | C-160D | 86 | 51 | to be replaced by A400M |
Weaponry edit
Former major systems edit
Notes edit
- ^ Corum, James S. (2004), "Building A New Luftwaffe: The United States Air Force and Bundeswehr Planning for Rearmament, 1950-60", Journal of Strategic Studies, 27 (1): 89–113
- ^ Wall, Robert (2008-04-02). "Germany Launches UAV program". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Bundeswehrplan 2009 — German Federal Ministry of Defense - Available from http://www.geopowers.com (German)
- ^ The Luftwaffe perspectives on UAVs — article by Klaus-Peter Stieglitz, German air force chief of staff, at the Royal United Service Institute for Defense and Security Studies http://www.rusi.org
- ^ Fishpool, Michael (2008-08-08). "Germany, Italy make initial requests for MQ-9 Reaper". Fightglobal.com. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Schechter, Erik (2008-07-01). "In search of a few good MALEs. Germany seeks Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance UAVs". c4isrjournal.com. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Masirske, Hans-Arthur (2009-12-02). "Auch Roboter der Bundeswehr sollen schießen". heise.de. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) (German) - ^ Deutsche "Air Force One" — article from http://www.geschichte.luftwaffe.de (German)
- ^ Regierungs-Airbus im neuem Glanz — article from http://www.luftwaffe.de (German)
- ^ Leersch, Hans Jürgen (2003-09-05). "Raus Wunsch nach frischem Lack kostet 155 000 Euro". Welt Online (German). Retrieved 2009-01-08.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Bundespräsident Rau will nicht mehr mit "Luftwaffen"-Schriftzug am Dienst-Airbus reisen". Spiegel Online (German). 2002-12-20.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Text "http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/vorab/0,1518,228110,00.html" ignored (help) - ^ The Iron Cross — article from the German Federal Ministy of Defense, http://www.bmvg.de
- ^ Zuverlässig, schnell und modern – die Flugbereitschaft BMVg — article from http://www.luftwaffe.de (German)
- ^ Haushaltsausschuss billigt die Modernisierung der Mittelstrecke für die Flugbereitschaft BMVg — press release from German Federal Ministry of Defense, http://www.bmvg.de (German)
- ^ "Regierung ersetzt ihre Pannen-Flieger". Welt Online (German). 2007-12-12.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Text "http://www.welt.de/politik/article1455714/Regierung_ersetzt_ihre_Pannen_Flieger.html" ignored (help)
| Reconnaissance |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Anti aircraft | ||
| Attack | ||
| Fighters | ||
| Transport | ||
| Force protection | ||
Disbanded units are shown in italics. | ||
