German Air Force

The German Air Force (also referred to as the Luftwaffe) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of Germany. With a strength of 41,600 personnell, it is the fourth largest air force within the European Union, after the air forces of France, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Although its budget has been significantly reduced since the end of the Cold War in 1989/90, the Luftwaffe is still among the best-equipped air forces of the world. Like the other branches of the Bundeswehr, it is fully integrated into the structures of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The German Air Force was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as the aerial warfare branch of the armed forces of then West Germany. After the reunification of West and East Germany in 1990, it integrated parts of the air force of the former German Democratic Republic, which itself had been founded in 1956 as part of the National People's Army. There is no organizational continuity between the current Luftwaffe of the Bundeswehr and the former Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht, which was completely disbanded in 1945/46 after World War II. The term Luftwaffe that is used for both the historic and the current German air force is the German-language generic designation of any air force, thus not establishing a link between the two forces.

List of Aircraft

Combat Aircraft

• Panavia Tornado IDS x 60 (Strike Aircraft)
• Eurofighter Typhoon x 180 (Multirole Fighter) - 116 x Tranche 3 and 48 x Tranche 4 on order
• Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II x 0 (Multirole Fighter) - 56 on order

Electronic Warfare

• Panavia Tornado ECR x 28 (SEAD Aircraft)
• Boeing EA-18G Growler x 0 (Electronic Warfare Aircraft) - 16 on order

Transport Aircraft

• Airbus A310-304 x 2 (VIP Transport)
• Airbus A310 MRTT x 10 (Aerial Tanker)
• Airbus A319CJ x 2 (VIP Transport)
• Airbus A321-200 x 2 (VIP Transport)
• Airbus A321LR x 2 (Transport/Medevac)
• Airbus A330 MRTT x 12 (Aerial Tanker) - 4 more on order
• Airbus A340-300 x 2 (VIP Transport)
• Airbus ACJ350 x 4 (VIP Transport)
• Airbus A400M Atlas x 32 (Tactical Airlifter) - 38 more on order
• Bombardier Global Express 5000 x 4 (VIP Transport)
• Bombardier Global Express 6000 x 0 ((VIP Transport) - 3 on order
• Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Herkules x 4 (Tactical Transport)
• Lockheed Martin KC-H130J-30 Super Herkules x 4 (Aerial Tanker)
• Transall C-160D x 29 (Transport Aircraft)

Helicopters

• Airbus H145M x 16 (Special Forces Transport)
• Eurocopter AS532 Cougar x 4 (VIP Transport)
• VFW-Fokker/Sikorsky CH-53G/GA/GS Sea Stallion x 72 (Heavy Lift Transport Helicopter) - to be replaced by Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion

UAVs

• Northrop Grumman RQ-4E EuroHawk x 6 (SIGNIT Operations)
• General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper x 6 (UCAV)
• IAI Heron x 4 (Reconnaissance UAV)
• IAI Eitan x 10 (Reconnaissance UAV)

Training Aircraft

• Beechcraft T-6 Texan II x 70 (Trainer Aircraft)
• Grob G120 x 8 (Trainer Aircraft)
• Northrop T-38C Talon x 46 (Advanced Trainer)
• Panavia Tornado IDS x 6 (Conversion Trainer)