Erding Air Base

Erding Air Base, also known as Fliegerhorst Erding, is located 45 kilometers northeast of Munich in Bavaria, Germany. The facility is owned by the Bundeswehr and operated by the German Air Force. It is the current location of the 5th Air Defense Missile Squadron and Weapon System Support Center 1.

Established as a Luftwaffe pilot training airfield prior to World War II, the base was seized by the United States Army in April 1945. During the early Cold War, the United States Air Force (USAF) utilized the site as an air depot, air base, and air station. The 85th Air Depot Wing and its successor units provided depot-level maintenance for USAFE and NATO aircraft starting in 1945. In 1953, Erding became a satellite depot following the opening of Châteauroux-Déols Air Base in France.

In 1956, the facility’s mission transitioned to training personnel for the reconstituted German Air Force. Control of the base was transferred to German authorities on April 1, 1957. As a front-line facility, it hosted squadrons operating F-104 Starfighter and Panavia Tornado aircraft. Air defense units included the 440th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which operated F-86D Sabres between 1956 and 1960. Under Operation Creek Ale, the base hosted rotating F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors from units based at Ramstein, Soesterberg, Zaragoza, Hahn, and Bitburg. The 52d Tactical Fighter Group maintained a permanent F-102 presence from 1971 until the aircraft's withdrawal from Europe in 1972.

During the 1980s, the installation hosted temporary duty units for Exercise Reforger. From 2002 to 2013, the base was home to the 1st Air Force Maintenance Regiment. Between 1978 and 1986, the airfield also functioned as a motor racing circuit, hosting events such as the German Formula Three Championship and the Deutsche Produktionswagen Meisterschaft. The final public airshow at the installation was held in 1986.