Executive Transport Wing (German Air Force)

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Executive Transport Wing of the Federal Ministry of Defence
Flugbereitschaft des Bundesministeriums der Verteidigung
FlBschBMVg Wappen1.png
Active1 April 1957 – present
(68 years, 4 months)
CountryFlag of Germany.svg Germany
Branch German Air Force
RoleAir Transport
Part ofAir Force Forces Command
(Luftwaffentruppenkommando)
Garrison/HQ Cologne Bonn Airport, Berlin Tegel Airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Aircraft flown
Transport Formerly:Airbus A340, Boeing 707, Tu-154, VFW-Fokker 614, HFB 320 Hansa Jet, L-410, Mi-8, Airbus A310
Present: Airbus A350, Airbus A321, Airbus A319, Eurocopter AS 532,

The Executive Transport Wing of the Federal Ministry of Defence (German : Flugbereitschaft des Bundesministeriums der Verteidigung, abb.: FlBschftBMVg or FBS BMVg, literally translated as Flight Readiness [Service] of the Federal Ministry of Defence) is a flying formation of the German Air Force with a wide variety of tasks. Occasionally it is ambiguously listed as the Special Air Missions Wing in English language articles. The wing is based at Cologne Bonn Airport with Berlin Tegel Airport used as a location for its helicopters. It is planned to bring the two operating locations together at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

Contents

History

The Flugbereitschaft was formed On April 1, 1957, at the Nörvenich Air Base as a small unit providing liaison flights to the Defence Ministry. In July 1959 it relocated to Cologne Bonn Airport and reformed as the 3. Squadron of the Air Force's Transport Wing 62 (3./LTG-62). In April 1963 it became an independent unit with its status raised from a squadron to a group. In 1974 its status was upgraded to a full wing (Geschwader).

As a legacy from the Second World War the role of the German military was a very sensitive topic and the Bundeswehr was constituted as a strictly defensive force within the borders of West Germany. Correspondingly the Flugbereitschaft was limited to providing government transport to federal government of defence ministry officials. With the end of the Cold War, the German reunification and the country's increased involvement in peacekeeping and humanitarian aid missions overseas at the end of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first centuries came a need for air-to-air refueling and long range transport aircraft. With the addition of Airbus A310 MRTT to the Flugbereitschaft an informal distinction was introduced for its aircraft. The government transport aircraft are called the "white fleet" (die weiße Flotte), painted in white with a thin black-red-gold stripe and a Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany) inscription. The military transport and tanker aircraft are called the "grey fleet" (die graue Flotte), painted in grey with a Luftwaffe (German Air Force) inscription. The helicopters make an exception of this rule, sporting the retro look of the white fleet, with two tones of blue stripes on a white body and a Luftwaffe inscription. The grey fleet is subordinated to the European Air Transport Command.

West Germany had its capital in Bonn, while East Germany's capital was Berlin. With the reunification it was decided that Berlin will be the sole capital city of the country. As the institutions of the united Germany were based on the West-German ones in Bonn and could not be moved in short time, the Flugbereitschaft played an important role executing shuttle flights (Pendelflüge) for federal government officials and parliamentarians between the two cities. Additionally the wing keeps a VIP aircraft in flight readiness in Berlin detached to from its MOB at Cologne Bonn IAP. The German government and Federal Ministry of Defence plan to consolidate the wing at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

On 15 June 2022, the wing retired its last Airbus A310 MRTT. [1] The retirement was scheduled at the end of February 2022, but the aircraft was kept in service due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. [2]

Mission

The Flugbereitschaft carries out missions in the following areas: [3]

Organisation

The Flugbereitschaft operates a diverse fleet of aircraft. Its main operating base is the military area of Cologne Bonn Airport with Berlin Tegel Airport used as a secondary location for its helicopters. [4] Beginning on October 21, 2020, two years after completion and two weeks after a successful dress rehearsal, political-parliamentary flight operations officially began at the new government interim terminal at the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport. The facility can handle up to 25 official flights per day. However, it is only a temporary terminal. The final terminal is due to be built in 2034, so that the unit's entire fleet of aircraft can move from Cologne-Wahn airport. Cougar helicopters will remain on the former Tegel airfield until 2029 due to lack of space. [5]

Executive Transport Wing of the Federal Ministry of Defence (Flugbereitschaft des Bundesministeriums der Verteidigung) (Cologne Bonn Airport)

Due to the geographical detachment of the 3. Air Transport Squadron from the wing's main operating location at Cologne Bonn IAP and due to the specifics of its helicopter operations, the squadron is an integrated unit, which also includes ground technical personnel in addition to its air crews.

Aircraft

Current Fleet

PictureTypeService PeriodSerials and NamesRoleNotes
Military Transport Airplanes (1st Air Transport Squadron)
15+11 2023-06-09 EDDK (cropped).jpg Airbus A321LR 2022–present [6] 15+10Medical evacuation
2022–present [7] 15+11
Executive Transport Airplanes (2nd Air Transport Squadron)
Luftwaffe (German Air Force) A350-900.jpg Airbus A350 2022–present 10+01 "Konrad Adenauer" Long range governmental air transportAirbus A350-941
2023–present10+02 "Theodor Heuss"Airbus A350-941
2021–present10+03 "Kurt Schumacher"Airbus A350-941
15+04 - Airbus A321 - German Air Force (50977556291).jpg Airbus A321 2018–present15+04Medium range governmental air transport
Aeromedical evacuation
Airbus A321-231
ex. D-AISE of Lufthansa
Luftwaffe A319CJ aircraft.jpg Airbus A319CJ 2010–present15+01Medium range governmental air transportAirbus A319-133X CJ
2010–present15+02Airbus A319-133X CJ
2019–present15+03 Open Skies Airbus A319-133X CJ
ex. VP-CVX of Volkswagen Air Service
Bombardier Global 5000 14+04 at MUC.jpg Bombardier Global Express 5000/6000 2011–present14+02Medium range governmental air transport
Short range governmental air transport
2011–present14+03
2011–present14+04
2019–present14+05
2019–present14+06
2019–present14+07
Executive Transport Helicopters (3rd Air Transport Squadron)
Eurocopter Cougar (Luftwaffe) (8736102528).jpg Eurocopter AS532U2 Cougar 1997–present82+01Berlin area governmental air transport
1997–present82+02
1998–present82+03

Retired Fleet

PictureTypeService PeriodQuantitySerialsNotes
Airplanes
Kendell Airlines De Havilland (Riley) DH-114 Turbo Skyliner at Broken Hill Airport.jpg De Havilland DH.114 Heron 2D 1957–19632CA+001, CA+002
90+78 (EDBG, 2016-08-23).jpg Piaggio P.149 1957–1969?
Percival P.66 Pembroke C54, 5407, West German Air Force.jpg Percival Pembroke C54 1958–1968?
Do27 Gatow1.jpg Dornier Do 27 1958–1979?
Convair 440-62, CA+033, West German Air Force.jpg Convair CV-440 [8] [9] 1959–1973612+01 - 12+06Originally CA+031 - CA+036.
Dornier Do 28 A1 from left Dornier Museum 2009-09-27.jpg Dornier Do 28A-1 1961–19681CA+041
DC6-1.png Douglas DC-6 1962–1969413+01 - 13+04Originally first two a/c numbered CA+034 and CA+035, later renumbered CA+021 and CA+022. Third and fourth a/c numbered CA+023, CA+024.
Lockheed VC-140B JetStar (L-1329), USA - Air Force AN1537946.jpg Lockheed JetStar C-140A/B 1963–19863 (+1)11+01 - 11+03Originally CA+101 - CA+103. Fourth a/c acquired in 1968 as attrition replacement for CA+102 and numbered 11+02.
Boeing 707-307C, Germany - Air Force AN0193938.jpg Boeing B707-307C 1968–1999410+01 - 10+04
Luftwaffe Hansa Jet at Basle - May 1984.jpg HFB 320M Hansa Jet 1969–1988816+01 - 16+08
Do 28D Luftwaffe (16531975459).jpg Dornier Do 28D-1 1971–1988459+01 - 59+04
VFW-Fokker VFW-614, Germany - Air Force AN0678240.jpg VFW 614 1977–1998317+01 - 17+03
Canadair CL-600-2A12 Challenger 601, Germany - Air Force AN0230665.jpg Bombardier Challenger 601 1986–2011712+01 - 12+07
Air Tattoo International, RAF Boscombe Down - Luftwaffe - Tu-154 - 130692 (2).jpg Tupolev Tu-154M 1991–1999211+01 - 11+02ex-East-German Air Force VIP aircraft.
Ilyushin Il-62M, Germany - Air Force AN2092250.jpg Ilyushin Il-62 1991–1993311+20 - 11+22ex-East-German Air Force VIP aircraft.
Let L-410UVP-S Turbolet, Germany - Air Force AN0324041.jpg Let L-410 1991–2000453+09 - 53+12ex-East-German Air Force VIP aircraft.
Airbus A310-300 10+23 GAF at STR.jpg Airbus A310 MRT 1991–2021110+23"Kurt Schumacher", [10] formerly Airbus A310-304 DDR-ABC, later D-AOAC of Interflug
Airbus A310-304, Germany - Air Force AN0152823.jpg Airbus A310 1993–2013210+21 - 10+22ex-East-German government aircraft.
Airbus A310 - RIAT 2014 (25568053564).jpg Airbus A310 MRTT 2007–2021410+24"Otto Lilienthal", [10] formerly Airbus A310-304 D-AIDA of Lufthansa
1999–202210+25"Hermann Köhl", [10] formerly Airbus A310-304 D-AIDB of Lufthansa
2001–202110+26"Hans Grade", [10] formerly Airbus A310-304 "Speyer"D-AIDE of Lufthansa
10+27"August Euler", [10] formerly Airbus A310-304 "Fellbach"D-AIDI of Lufthansa
German Air Force, Airbus A340-300, 16+01 (15185684358).jpg Airbus A340 2011–2023216+01Airbus A340-313X VIP, "Konrad Adenauer"
previously "Leipzig"D-AIGR of Lufthansa [11]
16+02Airbus A340-313X VIP, "Theodor Heuss"
previously "Gummersbach"D-AIFB of Lufthansa, sold to the United States [11]
Global 5000 14+01 (8197952408) (2).jpg Bombardier Global Express 5000 2011–2019114+01Crashed on 16 April 2019 at Berlin Schönefeld Airport and was not returned to service. An investigation found improper maintenance by Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services  [ de ] to be the cause. [12] [13]
Helicopters
Sycamore 58.jpg Bristol Sycamore 1958–19592CA+327 - CA+328
H-34 Gatow1.jpg H-34G Choctaw 1959–19722
UH-1D 70+01 (24758373013).jpg Bell UH-1D 1968–20004
93+51 (EDBG, 2016-08-23).jpg Mil Mi-8S 1993–1997693+51 - 93+56ex-East-German Air Force VIP aircraft.

References

  1. "Luftwaffe: Letzter Airbus A310 ausgemustert". www.flugrevue.de (in German). 15 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  2. @Team_Luftwaffe (11 April 2022). "Die ursprünglich für Ende Februar geplante Außerdienststellung des letzten verbliebenen A310 MedEvac wurde aufgrund der russischen Invasion verschoben" (Tweet) (in German) via Twitter.
  3. "Luftwaffe".
  4. "Luftwaffe : Flugbereitschaft – die Flugzeuge". 6 December 2018.
  5. "BER – das neue Flugziel der Flugbereitschaft des BMVg". Bundeswehr. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  6. Zwerger, Patrick (23 June 2022). "Erste A321LR für die Luftwaffe: Ein Hauch von 'Military Business Class'". Flug Revue (in German). Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  7. KS (14 August 2022). "Übernahme durch das BAAINBw in Hamburg: Zweite A321LR für die Luftwaffe". Flug Revue (in German). Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  8. "Luftwaffe 12+01". Aerial Visuals Airplane Dossier. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  9. "Convair CV-440-0, 12+04, 12+05". Aerial Visuals Airplane Dossier. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Der Airbus A310". www.bundeswehr.de (in German). Bundeswehr . Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Dienstende für die letzte A340 der Flugbereitschaft". Flug Revue (in German). 30 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  12. Gebauer, Matthias (25 November 2019). "Flugbereitschaft: Fehler von Lufthansa-Technikern lösten Unfallflug aus". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN   2195-1349 . Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  13. "Lufthansa: Ursache für Beinahe-Crash von Regierungsflieger steht fest". Berliner Morgenpost (in German). dpa. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2023.