At the end of November 1953, a reorganisation of air units saw air units transferred from the Ministry of the Interior directly to the Deputy Minister and Chief of the
People's Police. The air regiments were reorganized into the Aero Club 1 (Cottbus), 2 (Drewitz) and 3 (Bautzen), which in turn were divided into two sections. Starting in 1954, additional
Z-126 and
M-1D from
Czechoslovakian production were made available.[1]
On 1 March 1956 the air force was officially established as part of the
National People's Army, following the GDR's entry into the
Warsaw Pact alliance. Initially the air force (LSK), with its headquarters at
Cottbus, was separate from the Luftverteidigung (
Air Defence, headquartered at
Strausberg. It was intended to establish three fighter divisions, an attack aircraft division and an anti-aircraft division. However, eventually only the 1st and 3rd Aviation Divisions and the 1st Flak-Division were created.[2] On 1 June 1957 there was a merger of the two administrations in Strausberg, and the new headquarters was renamed the Kommando LSK/LV.
A number of military units and formations were under direct control of the Kommando LSK/LV, the Air Force Staff, and the Air Force Command of the NPA, with its HQ in
Strausberg.
The 1st Luftverteidigungsdivision (
en: Air Defence Division), with its
HQ in
Cottbus, was in charge to provide air defence throughout the southern territory of the GDR. The following units were subordinated to that particular division:
The 3rd Luftverteidigungsdivision, with its
HQ in
Trollenhagen, was in charge to provide air defence throughout the northern territory of the GDR. The following units were subordinated to that particular division:
Verbindungsfliegerkette 33 (VFK-33) An-2, Zlin-43, (Communication flight),
Trollenhagen Air Base
All fighter-bomber aircraft, transport aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft and transport helicopters were under the control of the FO FMTFK (roughly translates into: "Lead unit of the Frontal and Military air units", Führungsorgan der Front- und Militärtransportfliegerkräfte). The following units were part of the FO FMTFK:
Taktische Aufklärungsfliegerstaffel 47 (TAFS-47), MiG-21M, MiG-21UM,
Preschen Air Base
Taktische Aufklärungsfliegerstaffel 87 (TAFS-87), MiG-21M, MiG-21UM, Drewitz Air Base
Offiziershochschule für Militärflieger
The Offiziershochschule für Militärflieger (OHS MF) with its headquarters at
Bautzen was the command responsible for providing training, it had the following assigned units:
A diamond-shaped symbol identified LSK aircraft – divided into vertical black, red, and gold stripes corresponding to the horizontal fesses or bars on the GDR state flag. The centre of the diamond portrayed the
GDR coat of arms: a hammer and
compass surrounded by a wreath of yellow grain. The symbol differentiated the Luftstreitkräfte from the West German Luftwaffe, which displayed a stylised
Iron Cross similar to the emblem on German aircraft during World War I.
The uniforms of the two German air forces were also different: following an older German tradition, LSK/LV uniforms were the same stone gray worn by army personnel, modified by distinctive blue insignia (similar in style, but not colour, to World War II Luftwaffe ranks) and piping. West German uniforms, on the other hand, were blue with yellow insignia and more closely modelled on those worn by Luftwaffe personnel during World War II.
Aircraft
Starting in 1953, East Germany received
An-2,
La-9,
Yak-11, and
Yak-18 aircraft and the
MiG-15bis/UTI,
MiG-17/Lim-5P,
An-14A,
Il-14P,
MiG-9,
MiG-19,
Il-28,
Mi-4, and
Ka-26 in 1956 which were provided by the
Soviet Union. The first
MiG-21s were delivered in 1962. The 1970s saw the introduction of the
MiG-23, while
Su-22 fighter-bombers were delivered in the 1980s. The latest addition was the
MiG-29 in 1988. The inventory also included Soviet-built helicopters along with trainers and other light aircraft manufactured in the Soviet Union.
The East German Air Force was unique among Warsaw Pact countries in that it was often equipped with the most advanced Soviet fighters, instead of downgraded export models. As an extension of the Soviet
16th Air Army deployed in East Germany, the Luftstreitkräfte was expected to play a front-line role in any war with
NATO. As a result, it was under closer Soviet control than the air forces of other Warsaw Pact states.
After German reunification in 1990, the Luftwaffe assumed control over Luftstreitkräfte equipment and enlisted some of its personnel. Many of the GDR's military aircraft were obsolete or incompatible with NATO technical standards, and were sold to other countries. However, the Luftwaffe did retain the
MiG-29 in both
air defense and
aggressor roles because of its excellent capabilities.
The breakdown includes one SM type with electronic warfare specifications, one M type with air surveillance specifications, and 10 ST types with troop transport specifications.
^"Administration of the Aero Club (Federal Archive)
^Engelhardt, Heinrich (1993). "NVA Luftstreitkräfte/Luftverteidigung". In Naumann, Klaus (ed.). NVA: expectations and reality according to selected documents mediator. Berlin / Bonn /... Herford.
ISBN3-8132-0430-8.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)
^Lemke, Bernd; Krüger, Dieter; Rebhan, Heinz; Schmidt, Wolfgang (2006). Die Luftwaffe 1950 bis 1970. Konzeption, Aufbau, Integration [The Air Force from 1950 to 1970. Conception, construction, integration] (in German). Munich: Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag. p. 833.
ISBN3-486-57973-8.