Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 71 "Richthofen"
| Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 71 "Richthofen" (Tactical Air Force Wing 71) — III — |
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|---|---|
Coat of arms of Tactical Air Force Wing 71 "Richthofen"
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| Active | 6 June 1959–present |
| Country |
 Germany
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| Branch |
.svg){kind=small} German Air Force
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| Role | Air Defence, Rapid Deployment, NATO Command Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Wittmundhafen Air Base |
| Patron | Manfred von Richthofen |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Oberstleutnant Oliver Spoerner |
| Notable commanders |
Erich Hartmann, Günther Josten |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Formerly:
Present: Eurofighter Typhoon |
Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 71 "Richthofen", formerly known as Jagdgeschwader 71 (JG 71) Richthofen is a Fighter wing of the German Air Force. JG 71 was West Germany's first operational jet fighter unit. On 29 June 2013 the last F-4F Phantom fighter flew for the last time, before the type was taken out of service. The wing is now equipped with Eurofighter Typhoon.
Due to restructuring of the German Air Force, JG 71 was temporally transferred into the newly established Tactical Group "Richthofen" on 1 October 2013. Its parent unit was now Tactical Wing 31 in Nörvenich. On 5 July 2016 the restructuring was reverted and the fighter group again upgraded to a fighter wing.
The unit was formed in June 1959, equipped with 50 Canadair Sabre Mk.6s and stationed at the former RAF Ahlhorn. The highest-scoring fighter pilot of all time, Erich Hartmann, flew the Canadair Sabre (reputedly his favorite fighter plane design), and aircraft such as the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, in the newly formed wing in the late 1950s.
On 21 April 1961, the 43rd anniversary of the death of “Red Baron” Rittmeister Manfred von Richthofen, JG 71 was given the honorary title of “Richthofen” by Federal President Heinrich Lübke. In 1963, JG 71 transferred from Ahlhorn to Wittmundhafen Air Base.
May 1963 saw the introduction of the first F-104 Starfighters into German Air Force service. In 1974 the Wing obtained its first F-4F Phantom II's and on 19 September 1974 the unit's Starfighters were decommissioned. In 1988 the Wing's secondary role of Fighter Bomber Attack was given up so that JG 71 is now exclusively a Fighter Wing.
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