User:Garrulus82/Luftwaffeproject2
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The German air force (German Luftwaffeⓘ IPA: ['lʊftvafə]) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... German armed forces components (helicopters, drones) and navy (helicopters, drones, patrol aircraft)
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- This article is about the current German air force; for the Wehrmacht air arm see Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht).
- For other uses of the word Luftwaffe see Luftwaffe (Disambiguation).
The Luftwaffe was raised as the West German air force in 1956, a year after the West German parliament (Bundestag) ratified the Paris Agreements which provided for limited West German sovereignty and made it possible to join NATO and WEU. During the Cold War the Bundeswehr was the backbone of NATO's conventional defense in Central Europe. The Luftwaffe owned significant numbers of tactical combat aircraft and was and still is fully integrated in NATO command structures.
The end of the Cold War and the German reunification marked a historic point for the Luftwaffe and was the start of a process of transformation and reorganization. As the possibility of a major conflict in Europe has become highly unlikely, the Luftwaffe has been significantly reduced in numbers and prepared for peacekeeping and peacemaking tasks. Germany also gained full souvereignty over its airspace, which was throughout the Cold War defended by its NATO allies.
The Gulf War saw the first deployment of armed German air force assets outside German borders, when Alpha Jets were sent to Turkey and Patriot surface-to-air missiles to the defense of Israel. German aircraft saw its first combat deployment during the Kosovo War. German reconnaissance Tornados and transport aircraft were deployed during the Bosnian War.
German aircraft were engaged in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions both within German borders and abroad in support of the United Nations since 1960. Since 2007, Luftwaffe reconnaissance Tornados are stationed in Afghanistan besides C-160 Transall transport aircraft and ground personnel.
Recent years saw a continuing process of restructuring and the introduction of new equipment.