Two Tornados Take Off For Turkey

Two Tornado Recce aircraft of Taktischer Luftwaffengeschwader (Tactical Air Force Squadron) 51 "Immelmann" took off from their base in Jagel Dec. 10 for Incirlik, Turkey, from where they will fly missions over Syria in support of the international coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State.

Also taking off from Jagel was a Luftwaffe A400M with 40 personnel from the squadron, while an Airbus A310 multi-role tanker transport departed from the military airport at Cologne-Wahn.

All four aircraft arrived in Incirlik late in the afternoon of Dec. 10, the Luftwaffe reported. The A400M is due to return to Germany Dec. 11.

Up to six Luftwaffe Tornado Recce aircraft are due to begin flying reconnaissance missions over Syria from Incirlik in January.

The German navy frigate Augsburg already joined the international Groupe Aéronaval led by the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the eastern Mediterranean Dec. 4 (the first ship to join was the Belgian navy frigate Leopold I Nov. 18).