We Have Made a Start One Year of EUROFIGHTERs
in 74th Fighter Wing
Horst Klügel/ Curd Jaenisch
Just a little over a year ago many press statements and reports read: “Changeover from VW Bug to Ferrari –
This event did not only usher in a new era at this air base, but also with the Luftwaffe in toto, as 74th Fighter Wing in Neuburg is the first operational unit that was equipped with the EUROFIGHTER to perform purely operational tasks.
Start into a New Era
It is the fourth time in the 46-year history of 74th Fighter Wing that a new combat aircraft is being introduced with the EUROFIGHTER. This time one of the oldest combat aircraft still in service — the F-4F PHANTOM — is being replaced by one the most modern fighter aircraft of the fourth generation.
As it is usual and essential with today’s advanced, technically sophisticated and highly complex weapon systems the many preparatory measures required to modify and adapt the infrastructure and to install the ground support systems were carried out long before the arrival of the first EUROFIGHTERS at the Neuburg Air Base cast their shadows. The need for preparatory measures, especially in the fields of wing personnel training, infrastructure, and logistics, was precisely determined and planned on the basis of the experiences gathered in 73rd Fighter Wing “Steinhoff” during the introduction and operation of the EUROFIGHTERs. With a lead time of more than two years in the field of training the “conversion of the wing” began with English language training of the technical staff to make them better understand the comprehensive, pure English-language, interactive electronic technical documentation to be used in the near future. This very time-intensive training due to the large scale of novel technologies and complex technical systems for which the existing F-4F PHANTOM expertise of the wing personnel can only be used to a limited extent is entirely necessary including the subsequent technical training at the Technical Schools of the Luftwaffe.
Most of the infrastructure existing at Neuburg Air Base was built during the period of the activation of the unit in the early 1960s. In addition to the construction of new buildings for the ASTA (Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids) flight and tactics simulator, a new hangar with six particularly equipped parking spaces for the EUROFIGHTER as well as the construction of the squadron building for the pilots, it was essential to adapt nearly the complete infrastructure to the weapon-specific requirements of this new system. The modernization comprised in particular the redesign of the whole base including IT wiring. After completion of all construction works, in which mainly the German construction industry is involved, one of the most modern air bases of the Luftwaffe will have been built at the Neuburg garrison with an investment volume totaling approximately 90 million Euros.
Completely Changed World of Work
Apart from the many constructional changes a completely changed working environment is accompanying the fielding of the new type of aircraft. The changes demand from the wing members not only a breaking with working processes and tools and equipment they were used to for many years as well as the necessary retraining associated with that, but also the learning and applying of highly sophisticated IT and DP procedures in nearly all fields of activity. In this context, the ground support system that is indispensable for the operation of the EUROFIGHTERs is particularly worthy of note here as it represents a completely new quality in the field of operative management and operational command and control of the wing. Aside from certification/licensing and history/life cyclerelevant technical data on the system element “Engineering Support System” it also interchanges mission-specific data on the subsystem “Mission Support System” with the aircraft. The data sets necessary for that are generated and loaded into the EUROFIGHTER by the service and maintenance personnel of the Technical Group on the one hand and by the pilots of the Flying Group on the other hand.
This is the first time in the history of manned flying weapon systems of the Luftwaffe that the total technical operative management is based on an “electronic bookkeeping” of the technical data. This innovation requires an exact, time-optimal updating and gives ultimately “goahead” for a successful execution of the flight. After the landing of the EUROFIGHTER the Engineering Support System is again the indispensable starting point for a detailed technical assessment of the condition of the aircraft in respect to the last flight conducted which results either in the clearance for a new air mission or, if necessary, in directions for the elimination of the malfunctions/failures.
The application of new logistic procedures associated with the introduction of the EUROFIGHTERs aims at a farreaching shifting of maintenance works from the wing to the industry and requires a clearly enhanced cooperation with the corresponding industrial sectors up to a banking on EUROFIGHTER Cooperative Facilities jointly operated by the Luftwaffe and the German aeronautical industry (MTU Aero Engines/EADS-D) for engine and cell maintenance as well as the complete system support. The respective initial experiences of 74th Fighter Wing, especially with regard to the industry cooperation, are in line with the positive experiences of 73rd Fighter Wing “Steinhoff” and can even be made use of more efficiently due to the proximity to the Manching and
The Learning Curve is Rising
With the beginning of flight operations with four EUROFIGHTER combat aircraft in 74th Fighter Wing, the anticipative tenseness, which was clearly noticeable in all areas of the unit, has gradually abated. Most of the staff involved had already gained practical experiences within the scope of training and an “on-the-job training” in 73rd Fighter Wing “Steinhoff” at Laage Air Base in Mecklenburg; but now they act and work for the first time on their own responsibility on their “very own” aircraft.
At the beginning, quite a lot of the necessary work was done for the first time. With high motivation and a superb job performance the learning curve rose daily, however. This was also gathered from the constant increase in the flying hours accomplished. When seen in the light of a safe and accident-free performance of flight operations, 74th Fighter Wing had achieved rather quickly the average values of the monthly aircraft utilization rates of the other comparable units of the EUROFIGHTER nations. And just six months later the unit command could state that the experiences had taken root on all working levels and that the daily duties and activities had begun to progress in an expert and skilled way.
74th Fighter Wing is meanwhile vigorously preparing for flight operations to be conducted within the NATO framework as of 2008, and it is setting the course for full operational readiness as the wing had provided proof of with the F-4F PHANTOM weapon system in the past years. Even the present, though only temporary, situation of a limited number of aircraft cannot keep the wing members from unwaveringly continuing on their way towards the new era. The reason for the still low number of possessed new combat aircraft lies in the upgrading program to be currently implemented which is intended to bring all EUROFIGHTERs already delivered by the industry up to the contractually agreed state of construction.
Big Challenge
The putative calmness resulting from the current low availability of EUROFIGHTER aircraft is capitalized on by 74th Fighter Wing to push ahead, on the one hand, the still necessary basic work for the new weapon system in all areas of the unit and to implement, on the other hand, the final phase-out of the F-4F PHANTOM weapon system by the end of 2007.
The preparations for the inaugural assumption of the air policing task by the provision of a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) EUROFIGHTER mission element (two-aircraft section) in January 2008 are in full swing and represent for 74th Fighter Wing another essential milestone in the history of the unit. With the delivery of each additional EUROFIGHTER the wing will come closer to the performance standard already achieved with the presently used F-4F PHANTOM weapon system. At the same time it is essential to carry out the flight operations with the F-4F Phantom weapon system safely and without any accidents until the end of the year and up to the assumption of the air-policing task with the EUROFIGHTER weapon system, respectively. In total, the parallel operation of two types of aircraft proves to be the biggest challenge so far in the long history of the unit that requires highest concentration and uttermost willingness of all parties concerned.
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