Luftwaffe
Founded	1910-1919; 1924-1933; 1933-1946; 1956-1990; 1990-current
Country	Germany
Size	62,700 personnel 620 aircraft
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack	Tornado
Electronic warfare	Tornado
Fighter	F-4 Phantom II, Eurofighter
Trainer	T-38 Talon, G-120, T-37
Transport	Challenger 600, A310, Cougar, C-160

Luftwaffe (help·info) (German IPA: ['luftvafə]) is a generic German term for an air force. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Electronic warfare ( EW) is the use of the Electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this medium by an adversary while optimizing its use by friendly WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A trainer is an Aircraft used to develop piloting navigational or war-fighting skills in flight crew WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout For the Soviet light tank see T-37 tank WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. A cargo aircraft (also known as freighters or freight aircraft) is an Fixed-wing aircraft designed or converted for the carriage of goods rather WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar is a twin-engined medium-weight multipurpose Helicopter. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense the national military or armed service It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 The Bundeswehr ( German for "Federal Defence Force") is the name of the unified Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany Two other historic German air forces are the World War I-era Luftstreitkräfte and the Luftstreitkräfte der NVA in the GDR. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte or Imperial German Army Air Service ( Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches) was the over-land air arm of the German The Luftstreitkräfte der NVA (Air Forces of the NVA was the air arm of the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Additionally, Luftwaffe is also the name of the Swiss Air Force in German (Forces aériennes suisses in French and Forze Aeree Svizzere in Italian). The Swiss Air Force ( Schweizer Luftwaffe, Forces aériennes suisses, Forze Aeree Svizzere) is the air component The air force of Austria is called Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich History Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation TroopsThe Austrian Air Force ( De: Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte) was formed in May 1955 by the

History

World War I

Main article: Luftstreitkräfte

The forerunner of the Luftwaffe, the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte), was founded in 1910 with the emergence of military aircraft, although they were intended to be used primarily for reconnaissance in support of armies on the ground, just as balloons had been used in the same fashion during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 and even as far back as the Napoleonic Wars. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte or Imperial German Army Air Service ( Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches) was the over-land air arm of the German The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte or Imperial German Army Air Service ( Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches) was the over-land air arm of the German A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing Aircraft that is in the current employ of a Military power Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War ( 19 July, 1870 — 10 May, 1871 The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions It was not the world's first air force, however, because France's embryonic army air service, which eventually became the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air), had also been founded in 1910. An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense the national military or armed service The French Air Force ( French: Armée de l'Air (ALA literally Air Army) is the Air force of the French Armed Forces. Britain's Royal Flying Corps (which merged in 1918 with the Royal Naval Air Service to form the Royal Air Force) was founded in 1912. The Royal Flying Corps (RFC was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British

During World War I, the Imperial Army Air Service utilised a wide variety of aircraft, ranging from fighters (such as those manufactured by Albatros-Flugzeugwerke and Fokker) to reconnaissance aircraft (Aviatik and DFW) and heavy bombers (Gothaer Waggonfabrik, better known simply as Gotha, and Zeppelin-Staaken). World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Albatros-Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer that supplied the German airforces during World War I. Fokker was a Dutch Aircraft manufacturer named after its founder Anthony Fokker. Gothaer Waggonfabrik ( Gotha, GWF was a German manufacturer of Rolling

Portrait of Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, who brought down 80 Allied aircraft before being shot down and killed on April 21, 1918. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The medal around his neck is a Pour le Mérite. The Pour le Mérite, known informally during World War I as the Blue Max (Blauer Max was the Kingdom of Prussia 's highest military order until

However, the fighters received the most attention in the annals of military aviation, since it produced aces such as Manfred von Richthofen, popularly known as the Red Baron (der rote Baron), Ernst Udet, Hermann Göring, Oswald Boelcke, Werner Voss, and Max Immelmann (the first airman to win the Pour le Mérite, Imperial Germany's highest decoration for gallantry, as a result of which the decoration became popularly known as the Blue Max) . WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Colonel General Ernst Udet ( April 26 1896 – November 17 1941) was the second-highest scoring German Flying Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Oswald Boelcke (ˈbœlkə 19 May, 1891 &ndash 28 October, 1916) was a German Flying ace of the First World Werner Voss (Werner Voß ( April 13 1897 &ndash September 23 1917) was a renowned World War I German fighter pilot } Max Immelmann ( September 21, 1890 – June 18, 1916) was a German World War I Flying ace. The Pour le Mérite, known informally during World War I as the Blue Max (Blauer Max was the Kingdom of Prussia 's highest military order until As did the German Navy, the German Army used Zeppelins as airships for bombing military and civilian targets in France and Belgium as well as the United Kingdom. A Zeppelin is a type of Rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century based on designs he had outlined Terminology In some countries airships are also known as dirigibles from the French (fr ''diriger'' to direct plus -ible) meaning "directable"

All German and Austro-Hungarian military aircraft in service used the Iron Cross insignia until early 1918. For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia Afterwards, the Balkenkreuz, a black Greek cross on white, was introduced. A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half

After the war ended in German defeat, the service was dissolved completely under the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, which demanded that its aeroplanes be completely destroyed. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. As a result of this disbanding, today's Luftwaffe (which dates from 1956) can not claim to be the oldest independent air force in the world, since the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom is older, having been founded on April 1, 1918. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Interwar period

Since the Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany from having an air force, German pilots had to be trained in secret. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. Initially, civil aviation schools within Germany were used, yet only light training planes could be used in order to maintain the facade that the trainees were going to fly with civil airlines such as Lufthansa. To train its pilots on the latest combat aircraft, Germany solicited the help of its future enemy, the USSR, which was also isolated in Europe. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 A secret training airfield was established at Lipetsk in 1924 and operated for approximately nine years using mostly Dutch and Russian, but also some German, training aircraft before being closed in 1933. Lipetsk (Ли́пецк is a city located in the Central Federal District of Russia. This base was officially known as 4th squadron of the 40th wing of the Red Army.

Collar tabs of a Luftwaffe major (1935–1945). The background colour denotes that the wearer was in a flying division; other divisions had patches with different coloured backgrounds, such as red for those in antiaircraft artillery (Flak) units. Waffenfarbe ( German: “corps troop-function color” is a means the German military uses to distinguish between different corps or troop functions in its armed Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces

On February 26, 1935, Adolf Hitler ordered Hermann Göring to establish the Luftwaffe, breaking the Treaty of Versailles's ban on German military aviation. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. Germany violated the treaty without sanction from Britain and France or the League of Nations, and neither they nor the league did anything to oppose this. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 Although the new air force was to be run totally separately from the army, it retained the tradition of according army ranks for its officers and airmen, a tradition retained today by united Germany's Bundesluftwaffe and by many air forces throughout the world. It is worth noting, however, that before the official promulgation of Göring's new Luftwaffe in 1935, Germany had a paramilitary air force known as the Deutscher Luftverband (DVL: German air union). The DVL was headed by Ernst Udet and its insignia were taken over by the new Luftwaffe, although the DVL "ranks" had special names that made them sound more civilian than military. Colonel General Ernst Udet ( April 26 1896 – November 17 1941) was the second-highest scoring German Flying

Dr. Fritz Todt, the engineer who founded the forced labor Organisation Todt, was appointed to the rank of Generalmajor in the Luftwaffe. Fritz Todt (4 September 1891 – 8 February 1942 was a German engineer and senior Nazi figure the founder of Organisation Todt. The Organisation Todt (OT was a Third Reich civil and Military engineering group in Germany eponymously named for its founder Fritz Todt, an Please see " General " for other countries which use this rank General (genəˈraːl is presently the highest rank He was not, strictly speaking, an airman, although he had served in an observation squadron during World War I and had been awarded the Iron Cross. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia He died in a plane crash in February 1942. An aviation accident is defined in the International Civil Aviation Organization Annex 13

Hermann Göring personally chose an insignia for the Luftwaffe that differed from that of the other armed branches. The eagle, an old symbol of the German Empire, was used, but in a different posture. Since 1933, when Hitler's National Socialist Party came to power, the eagle held between his claws the symbol of the party—the swastika (an old symbol of sunrise)—which usually was enveloped by an oak wreath. The swastika (from Sanskrit: svástika sa स्वस्तिक Hindu IS CORRECT if 'ि' is positioned incorrectly see -->) is Göring rejected the old heraldic eagle because he felt it was too stylized, too static, and too massive; instead he chose a younger, more natural and lighter eagle with wings spread as if in flight, as he considered this a more suitable symbol for an air force. An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense the national military or armed service While the Wehrmacht eagle held the symbol of the Nazi Party firmly in its claws, the Luftwaffe eagle held the swastika with only one claw while the other was bent in a threatening gesture.

The Luftwaffe had the ideal opportunity to test its pilots, aircraft and tactics in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, when the Condor Legion was sent to Spain in support of the anti-Republican government revolt led by Francisco Franco. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of The Condor Legion (Legion Condor was a unit composed of "volunteers" from the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe) which served with the Nationalist Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid Modern machines included names which would become world famous: the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber, Dornier Do 17 "Schnell" (fast) bomber, and the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane. The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Stu rz' ka' mpfflugzeug, " Dive bomber " was a two-seat (pilot and rear gunner WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout However, since the aircraft were seconded to Franco's Nationalist air force, Luftwaffe markings were replaced to avoid giving the world the impression that Germany was actively supporting the revolt. Instead of the Nazi Party's swastika on the tail, the German planes used the nationalist air force aircraft markings (a Saint Andrew's cross over a white background, painted on the rudder of the aircraft and a black disc on fuselage and wings). The swastika (from Sanskrit: svástika sa स्वस्तिक Hindu IS CORRECT if 'ि' is positioned incorrectly see -->) is All aircraft in the Legion were affiliated to units given a designation ending in the number 88. For example, bombers were in Kampfgruppe (combat group) 88, abbreviated K/88; and fighters, in Jagdgruppe (fighter group) 88, J/88.

A grim foretaste of the systematic bombing of cities during World War II came in April 1937 when a combined force of German and Italian bombers under Spanish-Nationalist command destroyed most of the Basque city of Guernica in north-east Spain. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Basque Country ( Basque Euskadi, Spanish País Vasco) is an autonomous community in northern Spain. The bombing of Guernica ( April 26, 1937) was an aerial attack on the Basque town of Guernica, causing widespread destruction and This bombing received worldwide condemnation, and the collective memory of the horror of the bombing of civilians has ever since become most acute via the famous painting, named after the town, by the Cubist artist Pablo Picasso. Guernica is a monumental Painting by Pablo Picasso, depicting the Nazi German Bombing of Guernica, Spain by twenty-eight Cubism was a 20th century Avant-garde Art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973 Many feared that this would be the way that future air wars would be conducted, since the Italian strategist, General Giulio Douhet (who had died in 1930), had formulated theories regarding what would be dubbed "strategic bombing", the idea that wars would be won by striking from the air at the heart of the industrial muscle of a warring nation, and thus demoralising the civilian population to the point where the government of that nation would be driven to sue for peace—a portent of things to come, certainly, and not just during the war which would break out in Europe only months after the end of the civil war in Spain. General Giulio Douhet ( 30 May 1869 - 15 February 1930) was an Italian Air power theorist

World War II

Main article: History of the Luftwaffe during World War II

Downtown of Wieluń destroyed by Luftwaffe bombing the 1st of September 1939

At the outset of the war, the Luftwaffe was one of the most modern, powerful, and experienced air forces in the world, dominating the skies over Europe with aircraft much more advanced than their counterparts. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Wieluń is a town in central Poland with 24347 inhabitants (2006 The Luftwaffe was central to the German Blitzkrieg (lightning war) doctrine, as the close air support provided by various medium two-engine bombers, Stuka dive bombers and an overwhelming force of tactical fighters were key to several early successes. Blitzkrieg (German for "lightning war" is a popular name for an Offensive operational-level Military doctrine which involves an initial In Military tactics, close air support ( CAS) is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are in close proximity to The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Stu rz' ka' mpfflugzeug, " Dive bomber " was a two-seat (pilot and rear gunner Unlike the British and American Air Forces, the Luftwaffe never developed four-engine bombers in any significant numbers, and was thus unable to conduct an effective long-range strategic bombing campaign against either the Russians or the Western Allies. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was the most versatile and widely-produced fighter aircraft operated by the Luftwaffe and was designed when biplanes were still standard. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Many versions of this aircraft were made. The engine, a liquid cooled Mercedes-Benz DB 601, initially generated up to almost 1,000 horsepower (750 kW). This power increased as direct fuel injection was introduced to the engines. The kill ratio (almost 9:1) made this plane far superior than any of the other German fighters during the war (the closest being the Focke Wulf Fw 190 at 4:1). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Focke Wulf Fw 190 was considered one of the best German fighters of World War II, second only to the Messerschmitt Bf 109. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout It had relatively short wings and was powered by a radial BMW engine. The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka was a main asset for Blitzkrieg, able to place bombs with deadly accuracy. The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Stu rz' ka' mpfflugzeug, " Dive bomber " was a two-seat (pilot and rear gunner The leader of the Luftwaffe was Hermann Göring, a World War I fighter ace and former commander of von Richthofen's famous JG 1 who had joined the Nazi party in its early stages. Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy Aircraft during aerial combat WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In the (northern) summer and autumn of 1940, the Luftwaffe lost the Battle of Britain over the skies of England, the first all-air battle. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and Following the military failures on the Eastern Front, from 1942 onwards, the Luftwaffe went into a steady, gradual decline that saw it outnumbered and overwhelmed by the sheer number of Allied aircraft being deployed against it. The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign Towards the end of the war, the Luftwaffe was no longer a major factor, and despite fielding advanced aircraft like the Messerschmitt Me 262 and Me 163, was crippled by fuel shortages and a lack of trained pilots. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Cold War

Bundeswehr Teilstreitkräfte or TSK (Branches) Heer Luftwaffe Marine Organisationsbereiche (Organisational areas) Sanitätsdienst Streitkräftebasis

The Canadian version of the North American F-86 Sabre, the Canadair CL-13, had a long career in the Luftwaffe, with which 75 Mk. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The Bundeswehr ( German for "Federal Defence Force") is the name of the unified Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany The German Army (Deutsches Heer heɐ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The German Navy ( Deutsche Marine ( is the Navy of Germany and part of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces Central Medical Services is the English translation of the German Zentraler Sanitätsdienst (in short Sanitätsdienst) which is the term Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service SKB is a branch of the German Bundeswehr established in October 2000 as a result of major reforms of the 5 and 225 Mk. 6 examples served. This model is in the markings of 1. Staffel, Waffenschule 10 (1. / WaSLw 10), based at Oldenburg in 1959.
(Model by Peter Mojzisek)

German aviation in general was severely curtailed, and military aviation was completely forbidden when the Luftwaffe was officially disbanded in August 1946 by the Allied Control Commission. Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allied Powers were in control of the defeated Axis countries This changed when West Germany joined NATO in 1955, as the Western Allies believed that Germany was needed in view of the increasing military threat posed by the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The North Atlantic Treaty The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Warsaw Pact (see Nomenclature) was an organization of Communist states in Central and Eastern Europe. Throughout the following decades, the West German Luftwaffe (Bundesluftwaffe: federal air force) was equipped mostly with U.S.-designed aircraft manufactured locally under license. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 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.

West-German Luftwaffe field cap from 1962

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). Erich Alfred "Bubi" Hartmann (19 April 1922 &ndash 20 September 1993 also nicknamed " The Blond Knight of Germany " by friends and " The Black Lieutenant-General Gerhard "Gerd" Barkhorn ( 20 March, 1919 - 8 January, 1983) was the second most successful Fighter Lieutenant-General Günther Rall (born 10 March, 1918) is the third most successful Fighter ace in history and the most successful ace still Johannes Steinhoff ( September 15, 1913 – February 21, 1994) was a German Luftwaffe Fighter ace of 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. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Hartmann retired as an Oberst (colonel) in 1970 at age 48. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Josef Kammhuber, mentioned above, also served in the post-war Luftwaffe, retiring in 1962 as Inspekteur der Bundesluftwaffe (chief inspector of the Federal air force). General Josef Kammhuber ( August 19, 1896 &ndash January 25, 1986) was the first General of the Night Fighters in the

During the 1960s, the "Starfighter crisis" developed into a political issue, as many of these Lockheed F-104 fighters crashed after being modified to serve for Luftwaffe purposes—specifically for terrain, weather and ground troop support issues. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Lockheed Corporation (originally Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta In Luftwaffe service, 292 of the 916 Starfighters crashed, claiming the lives of 115 pilots and leading to cries that the Starfighter was fundamentally unsafe from the West German public, which referred to it as the Witwenmacher (widow-maker), fliegender Sarg (flying coffin), and Erdnagel (ground nail).

Steinhoff and his deputy Rall noted that the non-German F-104s proved much safer—Spain, for example, lost none in the same period. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. 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. ^[1]. Steinhoff and Rall immediately left their daily work and learned to fly the aircraft in America under Lockheed instruction and noted some specifics in the training (a distinct lack of mountains and foggy weather training), combined with handling capabilities (sharp start high G turns) of the aircraft that could create accident situations.

Steinhoff and Rall immediately changed the training regimen for the F-104 pilots, and accident ratios quickly 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 tactically and combat train outside Germany. However, the F-104 never lived down its reputation as a widow-maker and was replaced much earlier by the Luftwaffe than other national air forces.

1970s

One of 212 Panavia Tornado IDSs delivered to the Luftwaffe

From 1965 through 1970, two surface to surface missile wings (Flugkörpergeschwader) fielded 16 of the Pershing I missile systems with nuclear warheads under U. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Pershing was a family of solid-fueled two-stage Medium-range ballistic missiles designed and built by Martin Marietta to replace the Redstone missile as S. Army custody. In 1970, the system was upgraded to Pershing IA with 72 systems. Although not directly affected by the 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Luftwaffe unilaterally agreed to the retrograde of the Pershing IA system from their inventory in 1991, and the missiles were destroyed. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty ( INF) was a 1987 agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Beginning in June 1979, the Luftwaffe took delivery of 212 Panavia Tornado IDSs. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

The United States provides nuclear weapons for use by Germany under a NATO nuclear sharing agreement. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Nuclear sharing is a concept in NATO 's policy of nuclear deterrence, which involves member countries without Nuclear weapons of their own in the planning As of 2007, only 22 B61-4s are provided, stored at Büchel Air Base for delivery with German Air Force Tornado IDS. The B61 Nuclear bomb is the primary Thermonuclear weapon in the U WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout They will likely be withdrawn when the Tornados at Büchel are replaced with Eurofighter Typhoons after 2012, as it is not planned to integrate the B-61 bomb into the Eurofighter. B-61s stationed at Nörvenich and Memmingen Air Base (fighter-bomber wing JaBoG 34 "Allgäu") have already been withdrawn in the mid to late nineties. All bombs formerly stored at Ramstein Air Base have been brought back to the US due to ongoing construction work at Ramstein AB and will not be returned. Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz.

Reunification

The GDR air force, the Luftstreitkräfte der NVA, was supplied exclusively with Eastern Bloc-produced aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-17 Fitter and the more famous Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) family of aircraft, such as the MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29 fighters, and served primarily as an extension of Red Air Force units in Eastern Germany. German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung took place twice after 1945 first in 1957 the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state The Luftstreitkräfte der NVA (Air Forces of the NVA was the air arm of the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout JSC "RSK "MiG" or Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG in full (formerly Mikoyan or Mikoyan-i-Gurevich Design Bureau, Микоян WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы ( Voenno-Vozdushnye The East German Air Force was unique among Warsaw Pact countries in that it was often equipped with Soviet-standard combat aircraft instead of downgraded export models, though operated an extension of Soviet air power, the East German Air Force enjoyed less autonomy than other Eastern Bloc air forces. The Luftstreitkräfte der NVA (Air Forces of the NVA was the air arm of the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany The Warsaw Pact (see Nomenclature) was an organization of Communist states in Central and Eastern Europe. Unlike the West German Luftwaffe, the markings sported on the aircraft reflected the identity of the country as belonging to the Communist bloc. These markings consisted of a diamond-shaped design, in which could be seen the vertically oriented three stripes in black, red and gold surmounted by the stylized hammer, compass and wreath-like ears-of-grain design, which was also on the Flag of East Germany, although the stripes were a 90-degree orientation from those to be seen on either national flag of the two German nations between 1959 and 1990. The flag of Germany is a Tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany: Black,

After East and West Germany were reunified in October 1990, the aircraft of the NVA were taken over by the unified Federal Republic of Germany, and their GDR markings were replaced by the Iron Cross, thus creating the singular situation of Soviet-built aircraft serving in a NATO air force. History The creation of the National People’s Army on March 1, 1956, six months after the formation of the West German Bundeswehr, followed years Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. However, most of these would eventually be taken out of service altogether, in many cases being sold to the new Eastern European allies now part of NATO, such as Poland and the Baltic states. The North Atlantic Treaty

Luftwaffe MiG-29UB

The exception to this was the Jagdgeschwader 73 "Steinhoff" (Fighter Wing 73 Steinhoff) stationed in Laage. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Jagdgeschwader 73 (Fighter Wing 73 " Steinhoff " is a fighter wing of the German Luftwaffe. Wing is a term used by different Air forces for a unit of command Laage (ˈlaːgə is a municipality in the district of Güstrow, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The pilots of the JG 73 flew MiG-29s acquired during the reunification and 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. Dissimilar air combat training (DACT was introduced as a formal part of US air combat training after disappointing aerial combat exchange rates in the Vietnam War. The United States sent a group of fighter pilots to Germany during the Red October exercise to practice real tactics against the aircraft they were most likely to meet in real combat. In 2004, however, the MiG-29s were sold to Poland. Since then, pilots of the JG 73 fly the Eurofighter Typhoon. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

1990s

In March 1999, for the first time since 1945, the Luftwaffe engaged in combat operations as part of the NATO-led Kosovo War. The North Atlantic Treaty The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts in Kosovo: 1996–1999 This event was noted as significant in the British press with The Sun running the headline "Luftwaffe and the RAF into battle side by side". The Sun is a Tabloid daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland with the highest circulation of any daily English-language ^[2] The Luftwaffe flew suppression of enemy air defence (SEAD) sorties. SEAD (pronounced see-add or seed or Suppression of Enemy Air Defences, also known as " Wild Weasels quot and "Iron Hand" operations in the USA are No Luftwaffe aircraft were lost during the campaign, but the force's role proved to be controversial in Germany because Germany was not and, indeed, still is not allowed to participate in "wars of aggression" owing to its 1949 constitution (Grundgesetz). The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland is the Constitution of Germany. In addition to constitutional concerns, strong pacifist sentiment is present in the population that is opposed to the use of force by Germany in international affairs.

2000s

In 2005, four F-4F Phantoms participated on NATO's Baltic Air Policing operation. The Baltic air-policing mission is a NATO air defence Quick Reaction Alert (QRA in order to guard the airspace over the three Baltic states ^[3]

In 2006, to support coalition operations across Afghanistan, the Luftwaffe deployed Panavia Tornado reconnaissance aircraft from Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" (the 51st Reconnaissance Wing Immelmann), stationed in Mazar-i-Sharif, Northern Afghanistan. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" (Tactical Reconnaissance Wing 51 "Immelmann" is a tactical reconnaissance wing of the Luftwaffe. Mazār-e Sharīf ( is the fourth largest city of Afghanistan, with population of 300600 people (2006 estimate ^[4]

Future

A Luftwaffe Eurofighter Typhoon (two-seater trainer version)

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 combat aircraft such as the Panavia Tornado and, more recently, the Eurofighter Typhoon, which was introduced in 2006. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

On January 13, 2004, the then-German Defence Minister Peter Struck announced major changes to the German armed forces. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Federal Ministry of Defence ( Bundesministerium der Verteidigung) is a ministry in the German Cabinet. Peter Struck (born January 24, 1943 in Göttingen) is a Lawyer, member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany and was the The Bundeswehr ( German for "Federal Defence Force") is the name of the unified Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany A major part of this announcement was a plan to cut the German fighter fleet from 426 aircraft in early 2004 to 265 by 2015. Assuming the full German order for 180 Eurofighter Typhoons is fulfilled, this will see the Tornado force reduced to 85. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[5] The German Navy's air wing (Marineflieger) received 112 Tornado IDSs. The German Navy ( Deutsche Marine ( is the Navy of Germany and part of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces In late 2004 the last Tornado unit was disbanded. The maritime combat role has been assumed by the Luftwaffe, a unit of which has had its Tornados upgraded to carry the Kormoran II and AGM-88 HARM missiles. The AS34 Kormoran is a German-produced Anti-ship missile. The Kormoran utilizes an inertial guidance system for the midcourse phase switching to active radar homing during Gulf War Friendly Fire Incident During the Gulf War, the HARM was involved in a friendly fire incident when the pilot of an F-4G Wild Weasel escorting

Tactical Training Centers

Luftwaffe Panavia Tornados at CFB Goose Bay

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 U. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout S. 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 centres away from Germany. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

As a result, the Luftwaffe set up two tactical training centres: one, like those of many of the NATO forces, at the Canadian Forces Air Command 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. The North Atlantic Treaty Mission AIRCOM is responsible for all aircraft operations in the Canadian Forces enforcing the security of Canada's airspace and providing aircraft for supporting the missions of Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles (10 km) southwest of the Central business district of Alamogordo New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. 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%.

Holloman Air Force Base

On May 1, 1996, the Luftwaffe established the German Air Force Tactical Training Center (TTC) in concert with the United States Air Force 20th Fighter Squadron, which provides aircrew training in the F-4F Phantom II. Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles (10 km) southwest of the Central business district of Alamogordo Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) 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. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

The first contingent of Tornado aircraft arrived at Holloman in March 1996. More than 300 German air force members 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 March 31, 1996, with German Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) 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.

Organization

MIM-104 Patriot system of the Luftwaffe

Büchel airbase of the Luftwaffe, Germany

Current Structure of the German Luftwaffe down to Squadron-level, as of 20th of December 2007

• Inspektor of the Airforce (Currently: Lieutenant General Klaus-Peter Stieglitz)
• Air Force Command Staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence

Air Force Command

• HQ Squadron
• Command of Aerial Forces
  • HQ Squadron
• National Aerospace Defence Command
• Support Service Command of the Air Force

A Flying Wing of the German Luftwaffe is usually structured like this:

Wing

• HQ & HQ Squadron
• Flying Group
  • HQ & Support Platoon
  • 1st Flying Squadron
  • 2nd Flying Squadron
  • Airfield Squadron
  • Geophysical Service Center
• Technical Group
  • HQ & Support Platoon
  • Repair Squadron
  • Maintenance & Weapons Squadron
  • Supply & Transport Squadron

An Aerial Defence Group consists of a HQ Squadron, four Aerial Defence Squadrons and a support squadron. The MIM-104 Patriot is a Surface-to-air missile (SAM system the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations Büchel is a municipality in the District ( Landkreis) of Cochem-Zell, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the The Federal Ministry of Defence ( Bundesministerium der Verteidigung) is a ministry in the German Cabinet. Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces Jagdgeschwader 74 (Fighter Wing 74 is a fighter wing of the Luftwaffe. Oswald Boelcke (ˈbœlkə 19 May, 1891 &ndash 28 October, 1916) was a German Flying ace of the First World Jagdgeschwader 73 (Fighter Wing 73 " Steinhoff " is a fighter wing of the German Luftwaffe. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" (Tactical Reconnaissance Wing 51 "Immelmann" is a tactical reconnaissance wing of the Luftwaffe. The German Air Force Regiment (Objektschutzregiment der Luftwaffe "Friesland" is a ground based branch of the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe)

Air Force Office

• HQ Support Squadron
• Surgeon General of the Air Force
• Office for Air-Traffic Control of the Air Force

Aircraft inventory

A Eurofighter in the 2-seat trainer version

A Tornado ECR

A Transall C-160

Luftwaffe Airbus A310 MRTT ready for refueling, shown at the Paris Air Show 2007

McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II

A310 VIP transport aircraft for the leaders of the German government

EuroHawk

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[6]	Notes
Airbus A310	European Union	transport tanker	A310-304 A310 MRTT	7
Airbus A319CJ	European Union	VIP transport	Airbus A319-114CJ	0	2 ordered
Airbus A340	European Union	VIP transport	Airbus A340-300	0	2 ordered [7]
Airbus A400M	European Union	transport/tanker	Airbus A400M	0	60 on order
UH-1 Iroquois	United States	utility helicopter	UH-1D	73	built by Dornier
Bombardier Challenger 600	Canada	VIP transport	CL-601	6
EuroHawk	United States  Germany	SIGINT	RQ-4B Block 20	0	5 on order; to be built by Northrop Grumman and equipped with an EADS reconnaissance payload
Global Express 5000	Canada	VIP transport	Bombardier Global Express 5000	0	4 ordered
Cessna T-37 Tweet	United States	trainer	T-37B	47	flying under USAF roundel
Eurocopter Cougar	France  Germany	transport helicopter	AS 532U-2	3
Eurofighter Typhoon	Germany  Italy  Spain  United Kingdom	fighter	EF-2000	37	another 143 under delivery
Grob G-120	Germany	trainer	G-120	6	Civilian operated at Goodyear, Arizona (USA)
McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II	United States	fighter	F-4F	60	In service until 2012 (to be replaced by Eurofighter Typhoon)
NHI NH90	European Union	transport + CSAR	NH90 TTH	0	42 on order (+12 options)
Northrop T-38 Talon	United States	trainer	T-38	46	flying under USAF roundel
Panavia Tornado	Germany  Italy  United Kingdom	electronic warfare attack/reconnaissance	Tornado ECR Tornado IDS	34[8] 186[9]
Transall C-160	France  Germany	tactical transport	C-160D	83

See also

• Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II
• List of military aircraft of Germany
• Luftwaffe-Museum, Berlin
• German Air Fleets in World War II
• Luftstreitkräfte der NVA
• List of F-104 Starfighter operators

Select bibliography

Hundreds of books, magazines and articles have been written about the Luftwaffe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page An officer is a member of an armed force who holds a position of authority A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles (10 km) southwest of the Central business district of Alamogordo WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Paris Air Show ( Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace Paris-Le Bourget) is an international trade fair for the aerospace business WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Northrop Grumman (formerly Ryan Aeronautical) RQ-4 Global Hawk (known as Tier II+ during development is an Unmanned aerial vehicle WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout For an overview of the whole Huey family of aircraft see Bell Huey WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Northrop Grumman (formerly Ryan Aeronautical) RQ-4 Global Hawk (known as Tier II+ during development is an Unmanned aerial vehicle The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For the Soviet light tank see T-37 tank WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A roundel in Heraldry is any circular shape in military use it is an Emblem of nationality employed on military aircraft and air force flags generally round and The Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar is a twin-engined medium-weight multipurpose Helicopter. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The NHI NH90 is a medium sized twin-engine multi-role military Fly-by-wire Helicopter manufactured by NHIndustries, a company established by The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A roundel in Heraldry is any circular shape in military use it is an Emblem of nationality employed on military aircraft and air force flags generally round and WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Organization of the Luftwaffe: The German Air Force ( Luftwaffe) of World War II had a distinct organization and command structure This list of military aircraft of Germany includes prototype pre-production and operational types The Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr ( German for "Airforce Museum of the Bundeswehr " together with the Militärhistorische Museum der Bundeswehr Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. A list of Luftwaffe "Luftflotten" (Air Fleets and their locations between 1939 and 1945 The Luftstreitkräfte der NVA (Air Forces of the NVA was the air arm of the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany See also F-104 Starfighter The List of F-104 Starfighter operators lists the countries and their air force units that have operated the F-104 Starfighter A select few are listed here.

• Aders, Gebhard (1992), History of the German Night-Fighter Force, 1917-1945 (edited and translated by Alex Vanags-Baginskis), Crecy. ISBN 0-947554-21-1. (Originally published by Jane's in 1979. )
• Amadio, Jill (2002), Günther Rall: A Memoir, Seven Locks Press. ISBN 0-9715533-0-0.
• Galland, Adolf (2000 [1957]), The First and the Last, Buccaneer Books, Inc. ISBN 0-89966-728-7.
• Green, William (1990), Warplanes of the Third Reich, Galahad. [Second edition, following from original work published in 1970. ] ISBN 0-88365-666-3.
• Held, Werner and Nauroth, Holger (1982), The Defence of the Reich: Hitler's Nightfighter Planes and Pilots (translated by David Roberts), London, Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-414-6.
• Mermet, Jean-Claude and Ehrengardt, Christian-Jacques (2002), Les Jets de la Luftwaffe: Aéro-Journal Hors-Série No. 4, Aéro-Éditions International (French language edition only). ISSN 0336-1055 .
• Orbis Publishing Limited, London (1974-77), Wings, a part-work encyclopedia of aviation in eight volumes, which included many articles about the battles during World War II in which the Luftwaffe took part, as well as biographies of some of its high-profile airmen.
• Orbis Publishing Limited, London (1981-84) (second edition), World War II, a part-work encyclopedia in eight volumes about the 1939-1945 War.
• Philpott, Bryan (1986), History of the German Air Force, Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-50293-7.
• Price, Alfred (2005), Battle Over The Reich: The Strategic Bomber Offensive Against Germany 1939-1945, Classic Publications. [Revised, second edition based on the previous work with the same title first published in 1973. ] ISBN 1-903223-47-4.
• Price, Alfred (2000), Blitz on Britain, 1939-1945, Sutton. [Revised edition of Blitz on Britain : the bomber attacks on the United Kingdom, 1939-1945, first published by Ian Allan in 1977]. ISBN 0-7110-0723-3 (1977 edition).
• Sobolev, D. A. and Khazanov, D. B. (2001), The German Imprint on the History of Russian Aviation, Moscow, Rusavia (English edition). ISBN 5-900078-08-6.
• Wood, Tony, and Gunston, Bill (1984), Hitler's Luftwaffe: A Pictorial History and Technical Encyclopedia of Hitler's Air Power in World War II, Book Sales (originally published by Salamander Books). ISBN 0-89009-758-5.

References

External links

• Luftwaffe official website (German)
• Luftwaffe museum (German) & (English)
• German Democratic Republic (1955-1990) Air Force website (German)
• Luftwaffe Resource Center - Data and photos of Luftwaffe aircraft
• Luftwaffe Fighter Pilots
• Neil Page's web site translated German pilot accounts and exclusive material on the leading Fw 190 Reich's defence Geschwader JG 300
• Luftwaffe missing-in-action (MIA) website