Taktisches Luftwaffen Geschwader 51

Callsign :

Nato Tiger Association status : full member

Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader 51 (Tactical Air Force Wing) "Immelmann" (TaktLwG 51 "I”) is the youngest wing of the German Air Force and the only one with the capability of manned and unmanned tactical aerial reconnaissance within the German Armed Forces.  The wing is equipped with Panavia Tornado aircraft in the ECR (electronic combat/reconnaissance), RECCE (Reconnaissance) and IDS (interdictor/strike fighter-bomber) variants, with digital optical reconnaissance containers, mobile evaluation systems and unmanned aerial vehicles.  In addition, there are leased drones that are not always stationed in Germany.

In the beginning of the 1990s, the German Air Force disbanded its two Aufklärungsgeschwader (Reconnaissance Wing), AG 51 in Bremgarten and AG 52 in Leck, and phased out their McDonnell Douglas RF-4E "Phantoms".  The result was that the Air Force no longer had any means of aerial reconnaissance.

At the same time, the Deutsche Marine (German Navy) made the decision to disband one of its two Panavia Tornado Marinefliegergeschwader (Naval Aviation Wing).  As a result a new dedicated tactical reconnaissance air wing was needed, so in July 1992 the Tornado IDS and staff of the 1.Staffel (squadron) of the Marine's Marinefliegergeschwader 1, together with the Marinefliegerhorst (Naval Air Base) Schleswig-Jagel, were transferred to the Air Force.  They formed from January to March 1993 the new wing under the interim designation "Luftwaffen-Tornado-Geschwader-Jagel" (Air Force Tornado Wing Jagel).  In April 1993 the unit was given the name Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 „Immelmann“.  The new AG 51 was officially commissioned in January 1994.

The traditional name "Max Immelmann" was taken from the disbanded AG 51; the Panther as wing emblem came from the former AG 52.

After the dissolution of the Marinefliegergeschwader 2, Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 took over its naval warfare, aerial reconnaissance and fighter-bomber missions on 1 January 2005.

The 1.Staffel is equipped with 25 Recce and ECR Tornados including 5 IDS trainers (equipped with dual control).  The ECR-models were gradually taken over from the disbanding Jagdbombergeschwader 32 (Fighter Bomber Wing) from the end of 2012. 

On 3 March 2010, the 2.Staffel was formally commissioned as a Staffel for unmanned reconnaissance systems whitch used the IAI Heron drone between 2010 and 2023, which was rented from the Israeli manufacturer.  In 2019 training began on the successor model Heron TP.  These will eventually be replaced by the Eurodrone, probably from 2028.

On 10 October 2024, 3.Staffel was put into service.  From 2027, three Bombardier Global 6000 will perform the function of airborne signals acquisition for reconnaissance and surveillance under the project name PEGASUS.

At the beginning of April 2017, 4.Staffel, was set up as part of the decommissioning of the Fliegerischen Ausbildungszentrums der Luftwaffe (Air Force Aviation Training Center) in Holloman, New Mexica, USA.  It has 14 Tornados, six of which are equipped with dual controls.

(all aircraft are to scale, not all drawings show an aircraft in 51 markings)

Aircraft

McDonnell RF-4E Phantom (Aufklärungsgeschwader 51)

McDonnell RF-4E Phantom (Aufklärungsgeschwader 51)

Panavia Tornado IDS (Marinefliegergeschwader 1)

Panavia Tornado IDS (Marinefliegergeschwader 2)

Panavia Tornado ECR (Jagdbombergeschwader 32)

Panavia Tornado IDS

Panavia Tornado ECR

Israel Aerospace Industries Heron I

Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP

Airbus Eurodrone

Bombardier Global 6000

Aufklärungsgeschwader 51

1.Staffel, Aufklärungsgeschwader 51

1.Staffel, Aufklärungsgeschwader 51

Aufklärungsgeschwader 52

Aufklärungsgeschwader 52

Luftwaffen-Tornado-Geschwader-Jagel

Luftwaffen-Tornado-Geschwader-Jagel

Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader 51

1.Staffel, Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader 51 (1993-2010)

1.Staffel, Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader 51 (2010-present)

2.Staffel, Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader 51 (1993-2010)

2.Staffel, Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader 51 (2010-present)

3.Staffel, Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader 51

4.Staffel, Taktische Luftwaffengeschwader 51

cuff titel with honorary name

Marinefliegergeschwader 1

1.Staffel, Marinefliegergeschwader 1

2.Staffel, Marinefliegergeschwader 1

Marinefliegergeschwader 2

1.Staffel, Marinefliegergeschwader 2

2.Staffel, Marinefliegergeschwader 2

Jagdbombergeschwader 32

1.Staffel, Jagdbombergeschwader 32

2.Staffel, Jagdbombergeschwader 32

Fliegerischen Ausbildungszentrums der Luftwaffe

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text & picture sources : own collection & library + the world wide web / No copyright infringement intended : drawings, photos, etc. belong to the rightful owners.