German Air Force takes flight for first Indo-Pacific deployment

The German Air Force has sent a fleet of aircraft around the world for its first-ever deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, a move meant to demonstrate its operational capability during two regional exercises and to show solidarity with its allies there.
Six Eurofighter jets - painted with the flags of Germany, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, and Japan - left Neuburg Air Base Monday afternoon followed by four A400M multirole aircraft, and three A330 multirole tanker transport aircraft. The goal is to reach Singapore within 24 hours, with a pilot change taking place in Abu Dhabi. Upon arrival in Singapore, the aircraft will be transferred to Darwin, Australia, ahead of the biennial Pitch Black exercise taking place Aug. 19 to Sept. 9.
“We want to demonstrate that we can be in Asia within a day,” said Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, the air service’s chief of staff.
During the Pitch Black exercise, the German air force Eurofighters will practice air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks and defense while in larger formations with allied and partner fleets, according to the Luftwaffe. Once Pitch Black has concluded, the aircraft will also participate in the Royal Australian Navy’s Kakadu exercise, to be held Sept. 12-26. There, the Luftwaffe assets will help to protect naval vessels from the air, per the service.
Following the two exercises, the German air force fleet will train with the Singapore air force, and sub-fleets will also visit Japan and South Korea. Despite recent announcements that Germany will procure the U.S.-made F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, a Luftwaffe spokesperson told Defense News that there are currently no plans to discuss F-35 interoperability with Tokyo or Seoul, both F-35 foreign military sales (FMS) customers as well.
The Rapid Pacific 2022 deployment shows that Germany “is also thinking of security beyond Europe,” the nation’s defense ministry said in a tweet Monday.
Germany’s first deployment to the Indo-Pacific is intended to reinforce alliances across the region, Air Force Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz told last October. The air deployment follows the August 2021 deployment of the German Navy’s “Bayern” frigate, which spent six months at sea and stopped at 12 ports on its route.
Berlin released a set of policy guidelines related to the Indo-Pacific region in 2020, and the Rapid Pacific deployment builds off of those guidelines, officials said.

[@jasoar1563]

willkommen Luftwaffe , We look forward to working with you in the future.

[@DickTechno]

Germany has ordered 35 F35s, which are only intended to close a gap until the new 6th gen FCAS goes into operation!

[@craigbeatty8565]

Australia has F-35s too.

[@defencebangladesh4068]

Nice

[@doit185]

It is laughable of Luftwaffe a small and impotent force to intend to do something in Asia-Pacific region LoL

[@ilovesheltie3166]

Hey,Gernman Air Force came over to Japan today and had an excercise together ;-)
Do they still call it Luftbaffe?

[@DickTechno]

Luftwaffe das ist Deutsch und it is in english AirForce ! Germany has ordered 35 F35s, which are only intended to close a gap until the new 6th gen FCAS goes into operation!

[@GrafPanzer]

Luftwaffe hasn't been this happy since 1942

[@andreasgernandt2946]

Sexy Plane love the different flags

[@4thought___]

🤩 Awesome paintwork! 🇦🇺 🇩🇪

[@antigenagentum7446]

Holy moly cow 😎 it’s called LUFTWAFFE not LOFTWAFFE

[@TA.46]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@waynegore5291]

Hi German, take a shower at home before you go to asian, don't let people say you are too smelly. Also bring some Jewish friends so that they can remind you of your "beautiful" genocide past.

[@anEyePhil]

Dropped your chopsticks? Here is your 50c.

[@weltbunte1134]

Germany and Europe also have interests in the indopacific region, … to keep the trading routes open, safe and disinterupted. Also to support likeminded countries like Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, …. Like they shown support for our european neighbor Ukraine.