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Air Bases ·🇩🇪 Germany

Nordholz Naval Airbase (Fliegerhorst Nordholz)

Nordholz Naval Airbase (also Fliegerhorst Nordholz; ICAO ETMN) is an active joint civil-military airfield in Germany, operated by the German Naval Aviation. It has 1 runway (2,439 m). Home to Marinefliegerkommando (Naval Air Command), Marinefliegergeschwader 3 "Graf Zeppelin", Marinefliegergeschwader 5, flying Do 228, P-3 Orion, Westland Lynx, NH90 / Caiman.

Recent ActivityLast 24 months
  1. DEC 182025 Event P-8A Poseidon · Delivered · Nordholz Naval Airbase, Germany
  2. DEC 162025 Event NH90 (NFH) · Delivered · Nordholz Naval Airbase, Germany
  3. NOV 72025 Event P-8A Poseidon · Delivered · Nordholz Naval Airbase, Germany

Facility Details

Aircraft Based Here
Do 228 profile drawing Do 228 Military Transport Aircraft Marinefliegergeschwader 3 "Graf Zeppelin" NH90 / Caiman profile drawing NH90 / Caiman Military Helicopters Marinefliegergeschwader 5 P-3 Orion profile drawing P-3 Orion Military Special Mission Aircraft Marinefliegergeschwader 3 "Graf Zeppelin" Westland Lynx profile drawing Westland Lynx Military Helicopters Marinefliegergeschwader 5
Map
Map of Nordholz Naval Airbase

53.7678°N, 8.6600°E · 23 m elevation

Summary
Operating Country 🇩🇪 Germany
Location🇩🇪 Germany
Status Active
UsageDual
Year built1912
Operating OrganizationGerman Naval Aviation
Units
Marinefliegerkommando (Naval Air Command)Marinefliegergeschwader 3 "Graf Zeppelin"Marinefliegergeschwader 5
Location & Technical Details
Elevation23 m (75 ft)
IATA codeFCN
ICAO codeETMN
Runways
08/26 · 2,439 m (8,002 ft) · Concrete
Nearby Bases
  1. 57 km Jever Air Base German Air Force Regiment
  2. 70 km Wittmundhafen Air Base Tactical Air Force Wing 71 (Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 71)
  3. 83 km Hohn Air Base Flugplatzstaffel Hohn
  4. 89 km Husum Air Base Flugabwehrrakettengeschwader (FlaRakG) 1 Schleswig-Holstein
  5. 95 km Schleswig Air Base Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 "Immelmann"
  6. 133 km Diepholz Air Base Instandhaltungsstaffel Hubschraubergeschwader 64
Unit Emblems
Marinefliegergeschwader 3 "Graf Zeppelin" emblem Marinefliegergeschwader 3 "Graf Zeppelin"
Marinefliegergeschwader 5 emblem Marinefliegergeschwader 5
Related
All Military Air Bases Germany Air Bases
Operating forces
🇩🇪 Germany Germany Air Force

Description

Nordholz Naval Airbase, also known as Fliegerhorst Nordholz, is an active military installation in Germany. Originally established in 1912 as a Zeppelin airfield, the site was fully rebuilt following World War II and officially commissioned as a Bundeswehr base on 26 April 1963.

The facility is operated by German Naval Aviation and functions as a dual-use installation, sharing the site with the civil Sea-Airport Cuxhaven/Nordholz. Nordholz is the headquarters for the German Naval Air Command (Marinefliegerkommando) and hosts two operational wings: Marinefliegergeschwader 3 "Graf Zeppelin" (MFG 3) and Marinefliegergeschwader 5 (MFG 5). MFG 5 relocated to the base from Kiel-Holtenau by 2013.

The installation supports both fixed-wing and rotary-wing maritime aviation. MFG 3 operates P-3 Orions. MFG 5 operates NH90 helicopters, including the Caiman and Sea Lion variants. The NH90 Sea Lion replaced the base's fleet of Sea King helicopters, which were retired from service on 31 August 2024.

bundeswehr.de and other open sources. Last updated on 21 August 2026. Suggest a change
Latest Data Updates
  1. AUG 212026 Updated Cleaned up the resident unit list of this air base
  2. AUG 212026 Updated Recorded the 2 aircraft types based at this air base
  3. AUG 142026 Updated Page description written
  4. AUG 142026 Created Page created: Nordholz Naval Airbase