Falke Flieger The Luftwaffe was the largest F-4 Phantom export customer with some 273 acquired in various forms. By the early 1980s, it was increasingly felt that the Phantoms were going to be less capable against the increasing lethality of the Warsaw Pact's air defences and aircraft. While procurement of the Tornado ADV was considered, it was decided against as intelligence reports of a new Soviet fighter with heavy emphasis on air combat (later to be confirmed as the Mikoyan MiG-29) started to build. While a good aircraft and bringing with it the benefits of commonality with the Luftwaffe’s Tornado IDS strike aircraft, it was realistically more of an interceptor than an air superiority fighter capable of effective ‘dogfighting’.
After rejecting the Tornado ADV option, the Luftwaffe next looked at upgrading the Phantoms. In part this was looked at due to the parallel European Combat Fighter (ECF) program being commenced. This aimed to develop an entirely new tactical air superiority aircraft. As such, an interim upgrade to a small number of F-4s would be all that was required as a 'bridging capability' until the ECF arrived. This upgrade would primarily focus on avionics and weapons. It soon received the designation “Improved Combat Efficiency (ICE)” program.
Alas, the ECF program soon collapsed for several reasons, including differing requirements, Dassault's insistence on "design leadership” and the British preference for a new version of the RB199 to power the aircraft versus the French preference for the new Snecma M88. Consequently, the Panavia partners next launched the Agile Combat Aircraft (ACA) programme in early 1982. This aimed to combine features of the German MBB TKF-90 and the British BAe P.110. Once again though this stalled after the German and Italian governments withdrew funding.
By now the Luftwaffe was getting increasingly nervous. Not only were they aware of the Soviet developments of what was to become the MiG-29 but they were also getting reports of an even more capable fighter, in the same league as the F-15 and F-14, also being developed by the Soviets. This would eventually become known as the Sukhoi Su-27. As such, the Phantoms, even with the ICE upgrade were now seen as not viable at all. While efforts to develop an new European fighter were still being pursued, especially in light of the industrial benefits, the reality was that the Luftwaffe needed something faster.
After a brief consideration of leasing types from the Americans (both F-16s and F-15s were considered), consideration of purchasing the new Northrop F-20 Tigershark or even the Dassault Mirage 2000, decision makers settled on procuring 180 General Dynamics F-16A and 40 F-16Bs. These would be produced on the European F-16 line and be of the same configuration as those already being procured by the Air Forces of Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and Norway. Selecting the same type as their immediate neighbours made obvious sense for Germany, as both the production and support base was already in place.
The first Luftwaffe F-16s were introduced with Jagdgeschwader (JG) 71 "Richthofen" in 1985. Over the coming years all 220 would enter service, serving not only with JG 71 but also JG 72 "Westfalen", JG 73 "Steinhoff" and JG 74 "Mölders". The crews (or Falke Flieger as they were quickly named) quickly fell in love with the type. This was a type they felt very confident in taking on the new Soviet types with.
The type proved so effective that in 1991, combined with the financial burdens placed on Germany by reunification, Chancellor Helmut Kohl announced that Germany would withdraw from the Eurofighter program (this being the latest attempt to develop a European fighter aircraft). The F-16 met its immediate and foreseeable future needs.
In the mid 1990s, the Luftwaffe joined their fellow European operators in undertaking the F-16 Mid-Life Update (MLU) to their aircraft. This upgraded the cockpit and avionics (including improved radar) to the equivalent of that on the F-16C/D Block 50/52; added the ability to employ radar-guided air-to-air missiles; and generally enhanced the operational performance and improved the reliability, supportability and maintainability of the aircraft. Aircraft that received this set of upgrades were designated F-16AM or F-16BM (single-seat or dual-seat respectively).
The Luftwaffe F-16s would eventually be retired in the early 2020s with the F-35A becoming the new primary fighter for the Luftwaffe (Germany had joined the Joint Strike Fighter program in the early 2000s). It was not the last the world would see of the German F-16s though as 150 were transferred to Ukraine where they continue to operate today.
Top: A mid-lifed F-16AM of JG 74 in special squadron anniversary colours applied for air show appearances.
Bottom: A newly-delivered, Fokker-built F-16A Falke of Jagdgeschwader 74 based at Neuburg an der Donau (Fliegerhorst Lechfeld). This aircraft was one of eight F-16As deployed for low-level training at CFB Goose Bay in Canada.
