Andrea Spinelli/PIACENZA
IN ITS FIRST operational deployment since the Second World War, the German air force is flying reconnaissance and electronic-combat and reconnaissance (ECR) Tornado over Bosnia as part of the NATO air campaign against Bosnian Serbs .
Composite Wing 1, based at the Italian San Damiano Air Force Base near Piacenza, flew its first mission in support of the NATO rapid reaction force, on 22 August and began combat flying as part of Operation Deliberate Force, on 1 September in the first wave of strikes against Serb positions, in the war-torn ex-Yugoslav republic.
Air strikes by NATO air forces, led by US Air Force and Navy aircraft, resumed on 5 September after the Serb forces showed no sign of complying with demands, that they withdraw heavy weapons from the vicinity of Sarajevo, allow free access to the capital and refrain from attacking designated safe areas.
By 8 September, the German unit had flown 52 missions over Bosnia-Hertzegovina. The Wing consists of eight Tornado ECRs from the 32 Bomber Wing, based at Lechfeld, and six reconnaissance Tornados from the Immelmann-based 51 Reconnaissance Wing.
The German Federal defence ministry says, however, that no HARM anti-radar missiles have been launched during these missions by German ECR aircraft.
The deployment was approved by the German parliament strictly in support of the multi-national rapid-reaction force. German aircraft cannot fly independent missions hunting for Serb SAM batteries and radar, and can only fire in self-defence or to assist allies.
A senior German air force officer at the NATO command centre in Vicenza, Italy, has veto power over every mission assigned to the German aircraft.
Source: Flight International