German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius marked the 70th anniversary of the Luftwaffe at a ceremonial military tattoo in Berlin-Gatow on Wednesday, with the event staged at the Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow, home to the Kommando Luftwaffe. The commemoration highlighted the air force’s expanded remit, including air policing, crisis evacuations, eastern-flank air defence with Patriot and the operation of the Arrow air-defence system.
The anniversary traces back to the Luftwaffe’s founding in 1956, when the first 100 volunteers reported for duty in Nörvenich on 2 January. The ceremony also reflected the security shift that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has pushed the Luftwaffe further towards territorial and alliance defence. The occasion featured a large military tattoo, underlining the air force’s role within Germany’s broader defence posture.