MIG-21PFM with marking of the NVA

Die Luftstreitkräfte der NVA (East German Air Force - EGAF), was the Air Force of the German Democratic Republic (GDR - East Germany). It was in existence from 1955 to 1990, when both East and West Germany united. Image File history File links Emblem_of_aircrafts_of_NVA_(East_Germany). ... GDR redirects here. ...

As a Warsaw Pact nation, the GDR Air Force was supplied exclusively with Eastern Bloc-produced aircraft, such as the Sukhoi Su-17 "Fitter" and the more famous Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) family of aircraft, such as the MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29 fighters. The GDR Air Force served primarily as an extension of Red Air Force units in Eastern Germany during the Cold War. Unofficial Seal of the Warsaw Pact Distinguish from the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement about airlines financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ... Sukhoi (Сухой) is a major Russian military fighter aircraft manufacturer. ... Mikoyan, Mikoyan-Gurevich, or MiG (Russian: Микоян, Микоян-Гуревич or МиГ) is a Russian military aircraft manufacturer. ... Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name Fishbed) is a fighter aircraft, originally built by the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. ... Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (Flogger). ... The Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum) is a Russian fighter aircraft used in the air superiority role. ...

The East German air force was unique among Warsaw Pact countries in that it was often equipped with Soviet-standard combat aircraft, instead of downgraded export models. As an extension of Soviet air power, the Luftstreitkräfte enjoyed less autonomy than other Warsaw Pact/Eastern Bloc air forces.

The markings sported on the aircraft reflected the identity of the country as belonging to the Communist bloc (see above). These markings consisted of a diamond-shaped design, in which could be seen the vertically oriented three stripes in black, red and gold surmounted by the stylised hammer, compass and wreath-like ears-of-grain design, which was also seen on the Flag of East Germany, although the stripes were a 90-degree orientation from those to be seen on either national flag of the two German nations between 1959 and 1990.

After reunification in 1990, the Luftstreitkräfte der NVA merged into the existing West German Luftwaffe. Many of the GDR Air Force's aircraft were sold to other countries (after having the GDR markings changed to that of the Luftwaffe), being widely incompatible to NATO standards in terms of avionics and navigation systems. However, the Luftwaffe did retain and use the MiG 29 Fulcrums as interceptor because of its excellent flying and fighting abilities, until finally selling them to Poland in 2004. Indeed, the MiG-29G (after it had been modified with some NATO compatible systems) was probably the most sophisticated air superiority fighter in Luftwaffe inventories until the EF2000 reached service, being superior even to the modernized F-4 Phantom II. This does not cite its references or sources. ... The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multi-role canard-delta fighter aircraft, very similar to the US-German Rockwell-MBB X-31 prototype and designed and built by a consortium of European nations formed in 1983. ... The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II[2] is a two-seat supersonic long-range all-weather fighter-bomber developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Douglas. ...

See Also

• National People's Army

The National People’s Army (German: Nationale Volksarmee) served as the military of the German Democratic Republic. ...

External links

http://www.DDR-LUFTWAFFE.de/