Tactical Air Force Squadron 51 "Immelmann"

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Tactical Air Force Squadron 51 "Immelmann"
- TaktLwG 51 "I" -
III

Coat of arms of the Tactical Air Force Wing 51

Internal association badge (coat of arms)
Lineup January 1, 1994
Country GermanyGermany Germany
Armed forces Bundeswehr Kreuz.svg armed forces
Armed forces air force air force
Strength circa 1583
Insinuation Coat of arms LwTrKdo.svg Air Force Command
Location Kropp-Wappen.png Kropp , Kai-Uwe-von-Hassel barracks

Jagel Coat of Arms.png Jagel , Schleswig-Jagel Air Base

Awards Flag of Germany.svg Flag ribbon
Germany (1997),

Flag of Schleswig-Holstein.svg Flag ribbon
Schleswig-Holstein (1999)

Web presence TaktLwG 51 "I"
guide
Commodore Colonel Kristof Conrath
Deputy Commodore Lieutenant Colonel Roland Runge
Aircraft
Electronic
warfare 		Tornado ECR
Reconnaissance aircraft /
helicopter 		Tornado RECCE , IAI Heron

The Tactical Air Force Squadron 51 "Immelmann" (TaktLwG 51 "I"), until September 30, 2013 Reconnaissance Wing 51 "Immelmann" (AG 51 "I") is a reconnaissance wing of the German Armed Forces . It is the youngest squadron in the Luftwaffe and the only one with the capability of manned and unmanned tactical aerial reconnaissance within the Bundeswehr . It is based in the Kai-Uwe-von-Hassel barracks and the Schleswig -Jagel Air Base in Schleswig-Holstein . The squadron is equipped with 39 aircraft of the Panavia Tornado type in the variants ECR, RECCE and IDS-T, digital optical reconnaissance containers , mobile evaluation systems and unmanned aerial vehicles . There are also leased drones that are not stationed in Germany.

The squadron is a member of the so-called "Tiger Association" and, as such, hosted the NATO Tiger Meet in 2004 and 2014 .

assignment

For historical reasons, optical and now also electronic aerial reconnaissance with manned and unmanned aerial vehicles is the main task of the former reconnaissance squadron. In addition, the squadron also took over the task of naval warfare from the air from the former Naval Aviation Squadron 2 .

history

Coat of arms of the former AG 51
Coat of arms of the former AG 52
Schleswig -Jagel Air Base

After the two with RF-4E Phantom II equipped Reconnaissance Wing 51 in Bremgarten and 52 in leakage due to force reductions after the end of the Cold War were dissolved, the Air Force had no possibilities for imaging reconnaissance more. Starting in July 1992, the establishment of a reconnaissance squadron at the Schleswig-Jagel Naval Air Base, including personnel and material from Naval Aviation Wing 1 , began. From January to March 1993, the 1st squadron carried out flight operations with naval tornadoes under the name "Luftwaffe-Tornado-Geschwader-Jagel".

The association received the name Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 “Immelmann” in April 1993. The name of the squadron and the traditional name Max Immelmann was taken over from the disbanded reconnaissance wing 51, the Panther as the squadron coat of arms from the former reconnaissance wing 52.

The official commissioning of the new AG 51 was carried out by the then Inspector of the Air Force Lieutenant General Jörg Kuebart in January 1994. In July 1995, six Recce tornadoes were relocated to Piacenza in Italy as part of Einsatzgeschwader 1 in order to take part in missions over the former Yugoslavia. After participating in UNPROFOR , IFOR , SFOR , Operation Allied Force and KFOR , the last forces were withdrawn from Italy in 2001.

After the dissolution of Marinefliegergeschwader 2 , the reconnaissance squadron took over its mission to conduct naval warfare from the air on January 1, 2005.

Between April 2007 and November 2010, six tornadoes were permanently stationed in the Afghan Mazar-e-Sharif with the Bundeswehr squadron there, which carried out almost 5,000 flights during this time. Both the crews and the aircraft were exchanged regularly, with the crews generally lasting six weeks. The City Museum Schleswig showed in 2011 an exhibition of photographs for use in Afghanistan titled eagle eye on Afghanistan .

On March 3, 2010, the 2nd squadron of the reconnaissance squadron was formally put into service as a squadron for unmanned reconnaissance systems. In the same month, the IAI Heron drone is to be used by this unit as part of the ISAF in Afghanistan .

As part of the realignment of the Bundeswehr , the reconnaissance wing 51 "Immelmann" (AG 51 "I") was renamed Tactical Air Force Wing 51 "Immelmann" (TaktLwG 51 "I") on October 1, 2013.

At the beginning of April 2017, a 4th flying squadron was set up in view of the decision to decommission the Air Force Aviation Training Center (FlgAusbZLw) in Holloman . As a result, the tornado population increased by 15 aircraft to 39 aircraft.

structure

An RF-104G from the old AG 51 with an RF-101C from the USAF
Panavia Tornado IDS of the AG51, camouflage scheme NORM 95
Tiger-Meet special painting of a tornado of AG 51

The Tactical Air Force Wing 51 "Immelmann" is divided into two groups, the flying group and the technical group.

Squadron staff

The squadron staff (also Staff TaktLwG 51 "I") supports the commodore and determines the measures required to implement the order. Its subject areas are divided into: S1 - Human Resources, S2 - Military Security and Military Intelligence, S3 - Operations, Organization and Training, S4 - Logistics, S6 - IT and Communication. In addition, the following subject areas are assigned to the squadron staff: flight safety, standardization group, flight doctor, controlling and further development of tactics, technology and procedures (TTVG).

Flying group

The flying group is currently divided into three flying squadrons:

  • The 1st season is equipped with a book inventory of 25 Recce and ECR tornadoes including 5 IDS trainers (equipped with a double control) (as of 2017), the ECR copies were gradually taken over from the then JaboG 32 from the end of 2012 .
  • The 2nd squadron is equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS) . The unmanned aerial reconnaissance system for medium altitudes (MALE) IAI Heron , which was rented from the Israeli manufacturer IAI , has been in use since 2010 . Training on the successor Heron TP began in 2019.
  • The 4th season has a book inventory of 14 tornadoes, six of which are equipped with double controls, which were gradually taken over by the FlgAusbZLw in the course of 2017.
  • From late summer 2013 the unmanned aerial reconnaissance system for high altitudes (HALE) Eurohawk was to be put into service as a reconnaissance vehicle, whereby the Herons would have formed a third squadron.

In addition, the flight operations relay and the aerial photography relay are non-flying elements. Due to the planned closure of the Air Force Aviation Training Center , the tornado population will increase to 39 aircraft after 2017 due to the 15 aircraft from Holloman . When planning, controlling and monitoring flight operations, the staff works with the subject areas S1 to S3 to assist the commander of the flying group .

Technical group

The technical group provides the aircraft required for flight operations through repair and maintenance . The task of the technical group also includes supplying the squadron with spare parts, operating materials, ammunition, food and clothing. A staff and the maintenance team, the maintenance and weapons team, the electronics team and the replenishment and transport team are responsible for providing this logistical support.

Calls

  • From July 1995 to June 2001, WG 51 forces were involved in operations over the former Yugoslavia within the framework of UNPROFOR, IFOR, SFOR, Operation Allied Force and KFOR.
  • As part of the ISAF support , parts of the reconnaissance squadron were in Mazar-e Sharif in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2010 . Parts of the aerial photography squadron and the second flying squadron of the squadron with the Heron reconnaissance drone are still in use in Afghanistan as part of Resolute Support . In December 2018, the 40,000th flight hour in Afghanistan was achieved with a total of three drones, an average of more than twelve hours in the air every day. Heron's soldiers are deployed at least twice a year for six to ten weeks.
  • On December 10, 2015, the first two tornadoes and 40 soldiers of the squadron were relocated to the Turkish military base Incirlik to clarify the mission against the Islamic State. This mission, Operation Inherent Resolve , runs for German parts under the mission name Counter Daesh .
  • On November 1, 2016, a Heron drone took off for the first time on a mission flight for MINUSMA . It is operated in Gao by soldiers from the Tactical Air Force Wing 51 "Immelmann" together with civilian technicians. On January 31, 2017, the first flight with a satellite connection to Germany took place. This should be used to send reconnaissance data, which will then be evaluated at the Jagel home site and made available to MINUSMA. In this way, full operational capability (FOC) was achieved. On April 7, 2017 the Heron reached the 1000th flight hour.

Commodore

No. Surname Beginning of the term of office Term expires
1. Colonel Eckhard Sowada 1993 1995
2. Colonel Arne Kreuzinger-Janik 1996 1997
3. Colonel Jochen Both 1997 2000
4th Colonel Hans-Dieter Poth 2000 2002
5.
6th Colonel Thorsten Poschwatta 2004 November 2, 2007
7th Colonel Karsten Stoye November 2, 2007 December 13, 2010
8th. Colonel Hans-Jürgen Knittlmeier December 13, 2010 3rd July 2014
9. Colonel Michael Krah 3rd July 2014 3rd July 2017
10. Colonel Kristof Conrath 3rd July 2017 constantly

Aircraft type used

Picture gallery

  • RF-4E with F-15As in chain formation

  • Tornado of the AG 51 with "Recce-Pod"

  • Panavia Tornado Recce

  • IAI "Heron I" of the Bundeswehr

  • IAI Eitan Heron TP at the ILA 2018

  • Euro Hawk of the Air Force

criticism

The name of the squadron, which is derived from the fighter pilot Max Immelmann , occasionally causes criticism.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Tactical Air Force Wing 51 "Immelmann". Bundeswehr, October 11, 2013, accessed on October 13, 2013 .
  2. ^ Enlightenment drawn out of thin air in FAZ of March 11, 2011, p. 33.
  3. ↑ A new age begins. Homepage of the German Air Force, March 3, 2010, accessed on March 3, 2010 .
  4. ^ Karl Schwarz: Luftwaffe: Associations renamed in 'Tactical Air Force Squadrons'. In: Flight Revue . September 20, 2013, accessed January 10, 2014 .
  5. ↑ Tornado training moves from New Mexico to Northern Germany. In: Luftwaffe.de. April 3, 2017, accessed April 6, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Air Force starts Heron TP training in Israel, Air Force News, January 28, 2019
  7. ^ History of AG 51 on the Luftwaffe homepage ; Accessed June 29, 2009.
  8. ↑ Safety for the comrades on the ground - 40,000 flight hours Heron. In: http : //www . Einsatz.bundeswehr.de/ . PIZ Operations Command, December 17, 2018, accessed on December 18, 2018 .
  9. ^ Mali: First operational flight of the Heron. In: https://www.bundeswehr.de/ . PIZ Operations Command, November 1, 2016, accessed on December 16, 2018 .
  10. ↑ MINUSMA: 1000th flight hour of the Heron 1 over Mali. In: http : //www . Einsatz.bundeswehr.de/ . PIZ Operations Command, April 7, 2017, accessed December 18, 2018 .
  11. ↑ Alf CLASEN: "Knittel" and the unfinished mission - Source: https://www.shz.de/7036061 © 2018. In: Schleibote - Schleswig-Holstein newspaper. July 2, 2014, accessed October 17, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Colonel Conrath is the new head of the “Immelmann”. In: http://www.luftwaffe.de/ . PIZ Luftwaffe, July 3, 2017, accessed October 17, 2018 .
  13. ↑ shz.de

Coordinates: 54 ° 27 '34 "  N , 9 ° 30' 59"  E