Bavarian Tiger celebrates 60

On 5 May 2021, the Luftwaffe's (GAF, German Air Force) Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader 74 (TLG74) will celebrates its 60th birthday. For this special occasion, the Air Force Wing wrapped up one of their EF2000 Eurofighters (serial 31+01) in the characteristic blue and white painting of the Bavarian flag.

TLG74, formerly known as Jagdgeschwader 74 (JG74) is based at Neuburg air base in Bavaria since 1961. On 1 October 2013, the unit was renamed to Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader in the course of adaptations to the new structure of the German Air Force.

JG74 was activated as the last West German Air Force fighter wing on 5 May 1961. It was equipped with the F-86K Sabre interceptor and first based at Leipheim in 1960 as JG75. It moved to Neuburg air base a short time later after this base had been opened and was renamed JG74. In the period from 1964/66 the unit received the F-104G Starfighter. In 1974, the wing converted to the F-4F Phantom II. The F-4F was a downgraded F-4E which could not fire the medium range AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile. The use was forbidden until Germany became fully sovereign in 1990. Since then the F-4Fs were upgraded to F-4F ICE standard in the 1990s and were finally equipped to use the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. In the period from 2006 to June 2008 JG74 transitioned to the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The Bavarian Tigers were founded on 18 March 2013 by members of TLG74, and since 17 May 2016 they are a full member of the NATO Tiger Association. Unfortunately the unit will not participate in this year's Tiger Meet at Beja (Portugal), but will use their birthday in combination with their own five-year full- member anniversary as an occasion for the makeover of their seventh Bavarian Tiger.

The design and the wrapping come from Alexander Hamm, qualified designer and owner of the traditional Neuburg company Hamm Werbung. Hamm himself has been a fan of airplanes since he was a child and did his military service with TaktLwG 74.

Photos via TLG74