BLUE WINGS 2020 - NORVENICH AIR BASE

© logo courtesy of German Air Force

2020 was due to the pandemic situation a disaster for exercises and airshows.....

But luckely we had Norvenich Air Base with an historical moment.

In August 2020 the exercise Blue Wings 2020 was held, both German and Israeli Air Force (Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal) joined this exercise. This was the very first joint exercise between those two on Germain soil.

Israeli F-16C/D 'BARAK' fighter jets (6x) deployed from Hatzor towards Norvenich Air Base.

The start of this exercise was honouring the holocaust victims and the 11 Israelis killed at the Munich Olympics. 

18th of August : A mixed formation of 2 German Eurofighters and 2 Israeli F-16's performed a fly-be over Dachau concentration camp and Furstenfeldbruck airport, the site of the Munich attack in 1972 during the Olympics. This was I nice commemoration before starting the exercise.

During the first week it was flying within the 'Blue Wings' exercise.

In the second week the IAF F-16's participated in the MAG days (Multinational Air Group Days).

As a result a lot of local and foreign spotters visited Norvenich Air Base. The security was tight but anyhow we where able to catch those nice painted birds of the IAF.  

In the weeks before support aircraft (C-130) visited Norvenich Air base but unfortunately I don't have pictures of them. 

I visited 3 times Norvenich but was not able to attend the arrivals.

Below pictures includes :

- Boeing KC-707 "RE'EM" - 120 SQN (272 & 275)

- General Dynamics F-16C "BARAK" BLOCK 40 - 101 SQN 'THE FIRST FIGHTER' (531/534/536)

- General Dynamics F-16D "BARAK" BLOCK 40 - 105 SQN 'THE SCORPION' (628/676/682)

- GULFSTREAM G550 "NACHSHON" - 122 SQN (569 & 679)

- and some German hardware....

For me personal it was the first time to catch Israeli F-16's, tankers and G550 AEW Platform.

Please enjoy below pictures taken at different spots around Norvenich Air Base.

Boeing KC-707 "RE'EM" - 120 SQN (272 & 275)

General Dynamics F-16C "BARAK" BLOCK 40 - 101 SQN 'THE FIRST FIGHTER' (531/534/536)

General Dynamics F-16D "BARAK" BLOCK 40 - 105 SQN 'THE SCORPION' (628/676/682)

GULFSTREAM G550 "NACHSHON" - 122 SQN (569 & 679)

GERMAN AIR FORCE