The last photocall, NAS Eggebek, Germany 2 September 2004
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On 2 September 2004, the German Naval Air
Station of Eggebek organised the final annual Photocall. This event had
become a tradition in which aviation enthousiasts were enabled to whitness
flying operations by the sole remaining German Navy fast jet unit,
Marinefliegergeschwader 2. Over the course of the final months of 2004 and
the first half of 2005, the unit is to loose it's anti shipping tasked
Tornado fighter-bombers. The last aircraft are set to leave during June
2005. Following the withdrawal of the last Tornados, MFG 2 will be disbanded
and Eggebek closed. The current German government is cutting deeply into
existing equipment in order to be able to pay for new hardware like the
Eurofighter and the A.400M military transport and apparantly does not expect
to have a requirement for a fast jet based anti-shipping force anymore.
A good moment to have look back.
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The next months will see two Tornados depart Eggebek, which will mean that the final aircfraft leave during June 2005. Eggebek´s paint shop produced a pair of specially marked Tornados during the last few years. One of the two is 46+20, which gained this scheme during 2001. |
During 2003, German Naval aviation celebrated it´s 90th anniversary. At the same time, MFG 2 had existed for 45 years. This lead to Tornado 45+30 being given this¨predominantly white with black/red/gold trim. With the disbandment of MFG 2, not just Germany, but Western Europe as a whole will loose their final land based fast jet anti shipping capability, the British Tornado GR.1B and the Swedish AJ-37 Viggen already having been reroled or retired. Thanks and all the best to the personell at Eggebek! |
All pictures (c) Hans Rolink