KITS 11/2022

JaBoG 31, Norvenich airbase, Germany, 2001-2002

Jagdbombergeschwader 31 (abbreviated as JaBoG 31)

is the fighter-bomber wing based at Norverich in the

Western Germany. The unit was established in 1957 at

Buchel airbase because Norverich base was not yet

prepared to operate the new jet airplanes. On April 20,

1961 the squadron was named „Boelcke“ in the honor

of Oswald Boelcke, WWI Luftstreitkrafte fighter pilot.

In 1979 the Jagdbombergeschwader 31 was the first

Luftwaffe unit to be equipped with the new Panavia

Tornado IDS aircraft. As a result of the German Air

Force restructuring, on October 1, 2013 it was renamed

to the Taktisches Luftwaffegeschwader 31 „Boelcke“

(abbreviated as TaktLwG 32 „B“). On the same day the

unit became the core unit of the newly established

Tactical Air Force Group „Richthofen“. In 2001 the

Tornado coded 44+21 received the special color scheme commemorating 1 250 000 hours logged by the

Luftwaffe pilots in Tornadoes.

AG 51 „Immelmann“, Schleswig-Jagel airbase, Germany, 2006-2007

Predecessor of the TaktLwG 51, Aufklarungsgeschwader 51, was re-activated in January 1994. The previous AG 51, together with its sister unit AG 52 (both

were equipped with reconnaissance RF-4E) was

November 2022

disbanded in the middle of 1993. Newly established

AG 51 received Tornadoes IDS supplemented by ECR

version. The tiger striping carried by 44+87 was

presented for the first time at the NATO Tiger Meet

in 2006 taking place at Albacete airbase in Spain.

Tornado IDS 44+87 camouflage was painted

according to the so-called Norm 95.

INFO Eduard

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