Future Luftwaffe fighter fleet/bases

[DJdeRidder]

After several rounds of budget cuts and reorganizations, I'm a bit confused about the future of the Luftwaffe bases and the fighter fleet. Can anyone answer some of my questions or correct my overview?

Currently the Luftwaffe operates some 140-150 Tornado's. In 2004 the Bundeswehr announced to reduce the Tornado fleet to 85 by 2015. Recently some more budget cuts and reorganizations were announced. Do these affect the numbers of Tornado's that will remain operational?

In 1998 a production contract was signed for 180 Eurofighters. I believe some of these were sold to Austria, so how many will the Luftwaffe operate in the end? Currently it has about 80 Eurofighters..

Büchel
Still flying the Tornado. Will it be the last wing to convert to the Eurofighter (after JBG 31 and JG 71)?

Holloman AFB (USA)
The Fliegerische Ausbildungszentrum currently operates Tornado's and it will receive Eurofighters in the near future. It seems logical that this will mean the end for the Tornado there..

Laage
Eurofighter training wing, operating about half of all the aircraft.

Lechfeld
The Tornado ECR was due to remain in service after 2015, but what will happen to Lechfeld? I heard some story that the ECRs would move to Schleswig-Jagel?

Neuburg
Steadily operating the Eurofighter and maintaining QRA for southern Germany.

Nörvenich
Slowly switching from Tornado (last flight 2010) to Eurofighter, with less than a dozen aircraft based there.. It has started to perform QRA duties though while JG 71's Phantoms were deployed to Iceland and Lithuania.

Schleswig-Jagel
Operating the Tornado IDS in the reconnaissance role. One of its two squadrons has been equipped with UAV's, what will happen to the second squadron?

Wittmund
JG 71 will stop flying the F-4F Phantom in June 2013. I heard that a detachment of JBG 31 Eurofighters will then be based at Wittmund for QRA until Wittmund is equipped with new aircraft.

To me, it does not seem logical to equip five bases (Büchel, Laage, Neuburg, Nörvenich, Wittmund) plus a training detachment at Holloman AFB with Eurofighters. Even if Holloman will get only 15 aircraft, that means only 33 aircraft per airbase in Germany (or less if Eurofighter numbers are cut)..

Anyone has corrections on this?

[michel N]

Lechfeld will be closed as an active airbase. Currently there are some investigations going on to keep the runway open, for the local companies. One of these companies produces parts for Airbus, and is regularly visited by Beluga's. I heard something about Kaufbeuren to be closed, and that the unit over there is being relocated to Lechfeld, but I am not sure about that. The ECR's will move to Schleswig for their last years of service.

Büchel: Not sure about the future yet. As most of you know there are B-61's at Büchel, but what's the use of these weapons, as they apparently can't be carried by the Eurofighter? And in the case Büchel will lose it's nuclear task, and it's Tornado's, does it have a future at all?

[Stefan]

Interesting stuff to read (mainly from 29 onwards)

http://augengeradeaus.net/wp-content/up ... lanung.pdf

3 x Eurofighter unit (TaktLwG); 31, 73, 74 + GAFTTC with Eurofighters.

TaktLwG31 will operate a smaller unit at Wittmund for the time being (page 33).

AFAIK the final 37 (of 180 EFs) will not be incorporated in the end.

The Tornado will probably be withdrawn in the end (no replacement a/c). My hunch; first at Lechfeld, then Schleswig and then Büchel.

Regards,
Stefan

[FlaRak]

Since Im in the german AF I hear alot talking lately about all the closings and whatsoever. A few soldiers from my unit are stationed in lechfeld and it looks like all the ECRs will move to schleswig jagel. Büchel will actually keep the tornado until itll be replaced by something else (may be because the US Forces are also working at Büchel). My home unit in Rheine Bentlage is also getting closed pretty soon, looks like itll move to Holzdorf and Laupheim (wont affect me because ill be stationed somewhere else

[DJdeRidder]

AFAIK the final 37 (of 180 EFs) will not be incorporated in the end.

Just been looking into this again and I can now confirm that you were right. A total of 33 Tranche 1 aircraft were delivered by March 2008, the next batch being delivered right now comprises 79x Tranche 2 and the final batch from 2014 will consist of 31x Tranche 3A. The total will thus be 143 Eurofighters.