RAF Geilenkirchen

Royal Air Force Station Geilenkirchen, more commonly known as RAF Geilenkirchen, was a Royal Air Force station in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany, built by the British who used the facility mainly as an airfield for RAF fighter squadrons from May 1953 until 21 January 1968.

RAF Geilenkirchen
ActiveMay 1953 – 28 January 1968
CountryGermany
AllegianceUK: British Armed Forces
BranchRoyal Air Force
TypeFlying station
RoleFighters (Strike/Attack)
Part ofRAF Second Tactical Air Force,
then Royal Air Force Germany
Located nearGeilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Nickname(s)"Geilenkirchen"
Motto(s)Celer Respondere
Royal Air Force Ensign
MarchRoyal Air Force March Past
RAF Geilenkirchen
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
Ownerformerly: Ministry of Defence,
now: NATO
Operatorformerly: Royal Air Force,
now: NATO
LocationGeilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Elevation AMSL296 ft / 90 m
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 10,009 3,051 Concrete

History

Geilenkirchen squadrons

Post RAF history

The RAF handed over the station to German Luftwaffe in March 1968. The Germans used the airfield as home for a Surface-to-Surface Missile Wing equipped with Pershing missiles with support from the United States Army.

Current use

In 1980, the station became NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, the main operating base for NATO's Airborne Early Warning and Control force, operating 17 Boeing E-3A Sentry aircraft.

See also

References


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