Located in northern Germany near the Baltic Coast and the harbour of Rostock, the small town of Laage was chosen in the late 70th to house the most modern Air Base of the former East German Luftstreitkräfte, LSK (Air Force) of the Nationale Volksarmee, NVA (National Peoples Army). In 1978, the construction works were started and three years later, the runway was completed followed by the taxiways in the northern and southern part of the base within the next year.

The first unit to arrive at the brand new air base in 1983 was a small part of a new Wing to be formed at Laage as the Jagdbombenfliegergeschwader 77 “Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher“ (Fighter-bomber Wing 77). It was officially establish on 1st of October 1984 at Laage under the command of Oberst Manfred Jenichen. With this Wing, a new aircraft type was introduced, too. The flights with 12 Suchoi Su-22M-4 (Fitter K) and two Su-22UM-3K started on 1st of December 1984. Until end of 1985 two squadrons were equipped with 24 Su-22M4 and 3 double-seater.

Also the East German Navy was interested to use the ideal location of the base near the Baltic Coast and the decision was made soon to base a naval aviation unit at Laage. On 27th of November 1985 the establishment of the Marinefliegergeschwader 28 (Naval Aviation Wing 28) „Paul Wieczorek“ began at the southern part of the air base. This unit was equipped with the Suchoi Su-22M-4/ UM-3K (Fitter K) as well and started its duty on 10th of December 1985 under the command of Oberstleutnant Jürgen Roske,

After the changes within the relationship between the two Germanys started end of 1989, the decline of the German Democratic Republic and the fall of the Berlin Wall followed and finally the NVA was liquidated on 2nd October 1990 and was introduced into the West German Bundeswehr the next day - the day of the German reunification on 3rd October 1990. The last flying shift at Laage was conducted a few days before on 27th of September 1990 but due to the regulations of the new command only a fast taxiing on the runway was allowed.

In the following months, the Air Base was used only to bring together all the remaining Su-22s and most of the MiG-23 MF/ML/UBs of the former LSK that were put out of service. Even if some of the Su-22s were used for trials at the WTD 61 at Manching and were flown for some time, the type was never chosen to be introduced into the German Luftwaffe (Air Force). So the mothballed aircraft at Laage were waiting to be scrapped or with the even better end of life, to be transferred to an aircraft museum.

Another former LSK aircraft type than the Suchoi was more interesting for the German Air Defense. With the reunification, the Luftwaffe inherited 24 new MiG-29s (20 single-seater and 4 double-seater) from the East German Air Force and this fighter was an ideal addition to fill the gap between the old F-4 Phantom II and the Eurofighter to come. The Migs were originally based with the former JG 3 at Preschen very near the Polish border. In October 1991 the Preschen unit was renamed Erprobungsgeschwader MiG-29 (Trial Unit MiG-29) and moved as 731 Squadron to their final destination in December 1994. With the “Fulcrums” the jet noise came back to Laage.

Based on the official Order 27/97 an inspection was celebrated at Laage on 18th of September 1997 with the attendance of the German Defence Minister Volker Ruehe to award the unit with the traditional name Jagdgeschwader 73 ‘Steinhoff’ (Fighter Wing 73) to commemorate the former General Johannes Steinhoff. Due to the abolition of the threat from the east, the German reunification and the following economy measures, it was obvious that also the Luftwaffe was urged to save money by closures of bases and retirement of aircraft types. So the unification of both detachments of the JG 73 with the 16 F-4Fs from Pferdsfeld and the 24 MiG-29s at Laage was settled. The first Squadron flew with the famous MiG-29 and the second with the F-4F Phantom, that were transferred from Pferdsfeld to Laage in 1997 as 732 Squadron.

The base of Pferdsfeld was closed soon afterwards but the tradition of the JG 73 continued at Laage 38 years after this unit was erected in December 1959 at Alhorn with the F-86 Sabre. In 1961 the Wing moved to Pferdsfeld and with changing the primary role from air policing to close air support the unit was renamed in Jagdbombergeschwader JaboG 42 (Fighter-bomber Wing 42) and got new aircraft, the Fiat G-91. The next step was the introducing of the F-4F Phantom II in 1975 and the Wing was renamed again, this time into JaboG 35. The JaboG 35 was finally disbanded in 1994 and the thread was completed with the rename into Jagdgeschwader 73.

Laage was now the most interesting unit in the German Luftwaffe and within the NATO with a unique mixture of western and eastern build fighter aircraft that flew side by side.

In the beginning of the new century the introducing of the Eurofighter, the most modern aircraft within the NATO was in sight. So the German Luftwaffe started to retire a part of the Phantom fleet. In 2002, the second squadron of the JG 73 was disbanded and its Phantoms were given to other F-4 units or were scrapped. The MiGs still stayed at Laage for air policing duties due to some delay in the delivery of the Eurofighter. The year 2003 was the last year for the ‘Fulcrum’ crews to proof the agility of their famous Eastern Block fighter. Therefore, many guests from other NATO units were visiting Laage for training but also the MiG-29s made a farewell tour to the USA to join different exercises.

In October 2003, the first five of 22 MiG-29s (one MiG was lost in accident and one stayed in Germany) were handed over to the Polish Air Force and on 4th of August 2004, the remaining nine MiG-29s were ready for the last flight after more than 13 years of duty in the German Luftwaffe. About 14:30, the last three of the “Fulcrums” took off from Laage with direction Poland where most of the aircraft were integrated into the 41. Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego at Malbork after an overhaul at Bydgoszcz.

With the Eurofighter in sight, the base infrastructure was modernized and a new hangar system was build, the so-called six-packs. Every aircraft is parked into a single hall-segment that is fitted with all ground equipment to prepare the aircraft for the flight, so a sortie could be conducted directly out of the hangar and after coming back to the base the aircraft will taxi directly into the hangar again.

On 26th of April 2004, the introduction of the first seven double seated Eurofighters the JG 73 started and the former F-4 squadron was reactivated again as EF 2000 training and operational conversion squadron. Therefore, Laage was unique again as first EF 2000 unit within the German Luftwaffe. All aircraft delivered in April and May 2004 covered already the installation of the in-flight refuelling package, changes to the electrical system and a software update. The single-seaters delivered since April 2005 were already equipped with the Production Software Package (PSP) 2 with additional functions of the Captor radar for a better air situation display, and the IFF system. Also the basic systems of the multi-functional information distribution system (MIDS) for the instantaneous exchange of data with other aircraft or ground stations were integrated, likewise the direct voice input system (DVI) that was still limited by the syntax to a few commands at that time. Finally, 33 Eurofighters, 12 of them two-seaters were expected at Laage.

Ten Service Instructor Pilots (SIPs) were trained by EADS in 2003 and 2004 in order to create training documentation and manuals. All further instructor pilot training for this type with the German Air Force was than conducted at Laage, which also included the pilot training of the Austrian Air Component that introduced the first aircraft on 12th July 2007 into the Austrian Eurofighter unit at Zeltweg.

After completing the basic flying training in the USA all future Eurofighter pilots have to undergo the conversion and advance training at Laage. The initial course runs for six months with academic training for approximately five weeks, followed by about two weeks of simulator training. Ground handling is the final stage before the first flight in the twin seat Eurofighter. Apart from the training and trial tasks the JG 73 is also involved in the air policing to protect Germanys airspace together with both other fighter units, the JG 71 at Wittmund and JG 74 at Neuburg. For this duty, the new IRIS-T missile was introduced in December 2005 in a small ceremony conducted at Laage. The IRIS-T development was carried out by Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Spain and Sweden. Compared to its predecessor generation of short-range air-to-air missiles, the IRIS-T offers thrust vector control, imaging IR-seeker with much wider acquisition range, considerably improved resistance to countermeasures (IRCM and DIRCM), lock-on after launch and a 360 degree around engagement capability. The Wing actually also takes part in NATO exercises like the “Typhoon Meet” that was held in March 2008 at Morón Air Force Base, near Sevilla in Spain for the first time. The JG 73 deployed three aircraft, Italy’s 36 Stormo from Gioia del Colle, and 4° Stormo from Grosseto, both sent two aircraft, a total of four came from the Royal Air Force’s No. 3 and XI Squadrons from RAF Coningsby, with the remaining nine from the Spanish Air Force’s Ala 11 based at Morón. The objective was to demonstrate the interoperability of the Eurofighter and its air-to-air capabilities while training with other fighter aircraft types, like the F-16s from Portugal.  

Another step in the development of the weapons system Eurofighter was reached on 19th of March 2008, when the first “Block-5” aircraft landed at Laage. The “Block-5” improvement includes the full air-to-air combat capacity and the first step of air-to-ground ability. The full Direct Voice Input capability is now integrated, the GPS (Global Positioning System) was improved and Electronic Self Protect measures were integrated. With the achievement of the “Block-5” status the final stage for the Tranche 1 aircrafts improvement is reached. In the near future all so far delivered German Eurofighter will be updated to that level.

Today the Eurofighter is chosen by Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Austria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and will fulfil their Air Forces requirements well into the 21st Century. The aircraft production is ongoing, with 707 aircraft under contract to the six Nations and with about 150 delivered until today.  

It is planned, that the German Luftwaffe will take delivery of 180 Eurofighter in total, with at least five wings to be equipped. The Jagdgeschwader 74 flying out of Neuburg/Donau, began operations with the Eurofighter in July 2007. This unit is the first to be dedicated to tactical flying, and is responsible for the protection of the airspace over Southern Germany. In February 2008, the unit reached already the 1000 flying hour with the Eurofighter and took over officially the QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) role in June 2008. The third fighter wing to be equipped with Eurofighter will be Jagdgeschwader 71 at Wittmund. Armed with AMRAAM and IRIS-T, the EF 2000 will replace the remaining F-4F Phantoms II in the air defence role.

In addition, two of the five wings that will operate the Eurofighter will be assigned to multi-role responsibilities. It will be JaboG 31 “Boelcke” at Nörvenich and JaboG 33 at Büchel that still fly the Tornado IDS today. By 2012, all legacy weapon systems will have been phased out, leaving the Eurofighter as the only aircraft in Germany’s air defence. The German Luftwaffe is to adopt a singletype force structure with the Eurofighter as a multi-role platform. Soon the work will begin to introduce the multi-role variant so that around 2015, when the Tornado fleet has been reduced to 85 aircraft, the ability of the Luftwaffe to carry out air-to-surface missions will be undertaken by the Eurofighter supported by the future integration of the Taurus weapon. Germany and Spain will be the first nations to integrate the Taurus KEPD 350 Standoff weapon with the Eurofighter. The German Air Force will receive 600 Taurus missiles in total.

Plans say that by 2025, the last of the Tornado aircraft will have been phased out, meaning that the Eurofighter will be the single fastjet type in the German Air Force. Than the EF 2000 weapons system has to deal with all future threats.