Air Defender 2023 - Giovanni

On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, a small group including myself drove from the Netherlands to northern Germany for the Air Defender 2023 exercise.

On the way we stopped at Wunstorf air base to look at the transport aircraft that participated in the exercise. The Aircaft types that participated were: German A-400M's, an Romanian C-27J, several USAF C-130H's, and 2 USAF C-130J-30's

After we visited Wunstorf we drove to Hohn air base, where Finnish F/A-18Cs, American F-15Cs, US Navy EA-18Gs, US Navy             F/A-18E/Fs and a Draken Europe Falcon 20C were temporarily stationed with the local Learjets of the German Flugdienst (GFD). Coincidentally, a German CH-53G flew over the airfield at 12:53. At 14:07 a Global 5000 from the German Air Force also visited briefly, which departed again around 15:50.

Around 16:30 we left Hohn for Schleswig-Jagel, where we had also booked a hotel nearby. We arrived at the base at approximately 17:20 and at 17:26 an American F-15C that was at Schleswig-Jagel left for a spotters day back to Hohn.

The following aircraft were stationed at Schleswig-Jagel during the exercise: German H145Ms, German Tornado ECRs, Turkish              F-16Cs, American A-10Cs and American F-16Cs. 

Around 19:30 the last aircraft landed and we went to our hotel.

On Wednesday, June 21, we arrived at Schleswig-Jagel around 08:30.

The first fighter jets took off around 10:00, the first to take off was an American F-16C from the 175th FS "Lobos".

At 10:45 an H145 from HSG 64 arrived, this helicopter is leased by the German Air Force from NHV Helicopters for 1 year.

Around 10:50 an F-16C of the United States Air Force from the 120th FS took off, this F-16 (87-0336/AL) still carries the old colors of the squadron where this F-16 previously flew, the 100th FS "Red Tails” of the Alabama Air National Guard. As the squadron's nickname suggests, these F-16's carried red tails in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Between 12:20 and 13:15 a number of fighter jets landed again and immediately after that, 4 Tornado ECRs of TLG 51 took off. Schleswig-Jagel is also the home base of TLG 51. After the Tornado's took off the rest of the fighters landed. The last jet, an Hungarian JAS39C Grippen landed at around 13:46

Around 14:50 we left Schleswig-Jagel for Hohn where we arrived around 15:45 just in time for the landing of the Super Hornets.

At 16:58 the first F-15C of the 131st FS took to the air, followed by a number of other F-15C's, a GFD Learjet, the Draken Europe Falcon and the Finnish Hornets.

At 17:17 an A330-243MRTT of the Royal Netherlands Air Force flew over the airfield while it was refueling 2 German Air Force Eurofighters.

Around 18:25, 2 A-10Cs from the 107th FS made a high approach over the airfield followed by a low approach.

At 18:40, 1 F-15C from the 131st FS landed, followed by an American C-130H at 18:45. This C-130H belongs to the 192nd AS. After this C-130H had landed, all other fighter jets, the GFD Learjet and Draken Europe Falcon, landed again except for the Finnish Hornets.

The C-130H took off again at approximately 19:20. After the Hercules had left, the Finnish Hornets finally arrived.

When we were packing at 19:55 we saw on ADSB that an American C-26D was coming our way and was close by. This C-26D landed at 20:03 and after that we finaly left back to the hotel.

On thursday, June 22, we left our hotel for the last time towards Hohn where we arrived around 08:15. 

At approximately 08:35 the 4 Finnish Hornets departed back to Finland. There was also an Finnish C-295M visiting the base to pick up the spare parts, equipment and personel that was present for the exercise. The C-295M departed again around 11:00 after the F-15C's departed for one last training mission and the C-26D departed back to Sigonella.

At approximately 12:15 the Super Hornets and Growlers departed back to the USS Gerald R. Ford.

At approximately 12:34 the last F-15C arrived back from the training mission and we left for home where we arrived 7 hours later.

German Air Force LTG 62 A-400M: 54+04, 54+06, 54+14, 54+20, 54+22, 54+25, 54+27, 54+33, 54+34, 54+35, 54+39, 54+41

Romanian Air Force C-27J: 2705

USAF C-130H: 89-9102, 90-1798, 91-1237, 92-0553, 92-1451, 95-1001, 92-1533, 93-1562

USAF C-130J-30: 17-5865, 17-5904

FinAF HäLLv 31 F/A-18C: HN-405, HN-407, HN-433, HN-437

GFD Learjet 35: D-CARL, D-CGFJ, D-CGFO, D-CGFR

Draken Europe Falcon 20C: G-FRAW

USAF 122nd FS F-15C: 82-0009/JZ, 82-0010/JZ, 82-0017/JZ, 83-0010/JZ, 83-0036/JZ, 83-0041/JZ, 84-0022/JZ, 85-0112/JZ

USAF 131st FS F-15C: 82-0017/MA, 84-0010/MA, 84-0016/MA, 85-0010/MA, 85-0101/MA, 85-0110/ZZ, 85-0126/OT, 86-0154/MA,    86-0163/MA, 86-0168/MA

USN VAQ-142 EA-18G: 166943/AJ-500, 168271/AJ-503

USN VFA-31 F/A-18E: 166781/AJ-305, 166840/AJ-307

USN VFA-37 F/A-18E: 166857/AJ-107

USN VFA-87 F/A-18E: 169398/AJ-404

USN VFA-213 F/A-18F: 166626/AJ-210, 168930/AJ-213

Visitors: 

June 20 | 84+97 | CH-53GA | HSG 64 | German Air Force

June 20 | 14+02 | Global 5000 | FBS BMVg | German Air Force

June 21 | T-058 | A330-242MRTT | MMU | Royal Netherlands Air Force (Refueling 2 Eurofighters)

June 21 | 80-0213/MI | A-10C | 107th FS | USAF

June 21 | 80-0258/MI | A-10C | 107th FS | USAF

June 21 | 92-0553 | C-130H | 192nd AS | USAF

June 21 | 910502 | C-26D | Sigonella AOD | US Navy (arr)

June 22 | CC-3 | C-295M | TukiLLv | Finnish Air Force

June 22 | 54+04 | A-400M | LTG 62 | German Air Force

June 22 | 86-0103/DY | B-1B | 9th BS | USAF (flew over the field at 28.000ft)

June 22 | 910502 | C-26D | Sigonella AOD | US Navy (dep)

GAF HSG 64 H145M: 76+14, 77+07

GAF TLG 51 Tornado ECR: 45+59, 46+23, 46+50, 46+51, 46+54, 46+55, 46+56

HunAF MH 59.Sz.D.REB JAS39C: 35, 36, 39

HunAF MH 59.Sz.D.REB JAS39D: 44

TurAF 151 Filo F-16C: 88-0036, 89-0026, 90-0012

USAF 104th FS A-10C: 78-0683/MD, 78-0702/MD, 78-0718/MD, 79-0104/MD, 79-0108/MD, 79-0175/MD

USAF 107th FS A-10C: 78-0641/MI, 78-0689/MI, 80-0213/MI, 80-0221/MI, 80-0258/MI, 81-0998/MI

USAF 120th FS F-16C: 68-0277/CO, 86-0339/CO, 86-0365/CO, 86-0367/CO, 86-0370/CO, 87-0229/CO, 87-0336/AL

USAF 175th FS F-16C: 88-0418, 88-0428, 88-0452, 89-2005, 89-2064, 89-2105, 89-2125

Visitors:

June 20 | 85-0112/JZ | F-15C | 122nd FS | USAF (dep)

June 21 | D-HNHW | H145 | HSG 64 | German Air Force (Leased from NHV Helicopters)