Updated 04-08-22 ETAD Enhanced Air Policing. F-35/EA-18/KC-135 Deployment. Full overview with useful links

[Frank]

Because of the tensions rising after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US Air Force and US Navy had deployed 20 F-35's in the period from February until August 2022 to Spangdahlem Air Base (Germany).

Furthermore, six EA-18G Growlers from NAS Whidbey Island (WA) were send here in March.

To support the five-hours long CAP (Combat Air Patrol) missions the fighters fly, four KC-135s are also on temporary duty at Spangdahlem (ICAO code ETAD).

Update 03-08. All twelve F-35s have left now. There are rumours of a new F-35 deployment from Hill but we have to wait and see. The expected Elmendorf F-22s have moved to Lask.

The tankers are still at Spangdahlem

Temporarily based at ETAD:


Tankers
59-1448 KC-135R 153rd ARS arrived ?
59-1476 KC-135R 92nd ARW arrived 25-5-22 (with MPRS pod)
59-1515 KC-135R 92nd ARW with MPRS pod
61-0267 KC-135R 92nd ARW
62-3541 KC-135R 92nd ARW



Previous Aircraft
Earlier, the following aircraft were temporarily based here:

F-35
15-5172/HL F35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 8-4-22
15-5173/HL F35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 8-4-22
15-5175/HL F-35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 5-5-22
15-5178/HL F-35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 6-5-22
17-5237/HL F35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 8-4-22
17-5243/HL F-35A 4th FS from 4-4-22 until 3-8-22
17-5254/HL F-35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 5-5-22
17-5255/HL F-35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 10-5-22
17-5256/HL F35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 8-4-22
17-5257/HL F-35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 10-5-22
17-5265/VT F-35A 134th FS/VT ANG "158FW" from 2-5-22 until 2-8-22
17-5276/HL F-35A 421st FS from 4-4-22 until 2-8-22
19-5478/HL F-35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 6-5-22
17-5278/VT F-35A 134th FS/VT ANG from 2-5-22 until 3-8-22
17-5279/VT F-35A 134th FS/VT ANG from 2-5-22 until 3-8-22
17-5280/VT F-35A 134th FS/VT ANG from 2-5-22 until 3-8-22
17-5281/HL F-35A 421st FS from 4-4-22 until 3-8-22
17-5282/HL F-35A “419 OG” 466th FS from 4-4-22 until 2-8-22
18-5336/VT F-35A 134th FS/VT ANG from 2-5-22 until 3-8-22
18-5338/VT F-35A 134th FS/VT ANG from 2-5-22 until 2-8-22
18-5339/VT F-35A 134th FS/VT ANG from 2-5-22 until 2-8-22
18-5360/VT F-35A 134th FS/VT ANG from 2-5-22 until 2-8-22
19-5483/HL F-35A 34th FS from 16-2-22 until 5-5-22
19-5539/HL F-35A 4th FS from 16-2-22 until 5-5-22

EA-18 Growler
EA-18G 166946/NL-533 VAQ-134 arrived 28-3-22 Departed Oct2022
EA-18G 168259/NL-534 VAQ-134 arrived 28-3-22 Departed Oct2022
EA-18G 168765/NL-530 VAQ-134 arrived 28-3-22 Departed Oct2022
EA-18G 168767/NL-532 VAQ-134 arrived 28-3-22 Departed Oct2022
EA-18G 168936/NL-531 VAQ-134 arrived 28-3-22 Departed Oct2022
EA-18G 169129/NL-535 VAQ-134 arrived 28-3-22 Departed Oct2022


Tankers
58-0015 KC-135R 465th ARS arr 27-5-22 dep 9-6-22
58-0035 KC-135R 92nd/141st ARW/no markings Arr 9-3-22 dep 10-5-22 to Incirlik, Turkey
58-0103 KC-135T 92nd/141st ARW/no markings Arr 9-3-22 dep 10-5-22 to Incirlik, Turkey
59-1508 KC-135R 92nd ARW Arr 29-4-2022 dep 11-5-22 to Incirlik, Turkey (returned 11-6-22)
57-1468 KC-135R 336th ARS arrived 11-6-22 dep 12-6-22
59-1508 KC-135R 92nd ARW arrived 11-6-22 dep 12-6-22
63-8019 KC-135R 92nd ARW arrived 25-5-22 departed
63-8871 KC-135R 92nd ARW arrived 25-5-22 departed
61-0267 KC-135R 92nd/141st ARW/no markings. Arr 9-3-22 dep 10-5 as RCH585 to USA
62-3519 KC-135R 22nd ARW "McConnell" Arr 9-3-22 dep 11-5-22 to Incirlik, Turkey
62-3537 KC-135R 97th ARS arr ? dep 26-5-22
63-8018 KC-135R 173rd ARS Arr 9-5-22 dep 11-5 as RCH134 to the US

57-1439 KC-135R 22nd ARW arrived 25-5-22 dep?
61-0309 KC-135R 128th ARW arrived ? dep ?


79-1712 KC-10A 305th AMW Arr: 14-5-22 Dep 25-5-22
84-0189 KC-10A 305th AMW Arr: 14-5-22 Dep 23-5-22
87-0119 KC-10A 60th AMW Arr: 14-5-22 Dep 23-5-22


Useful links
Airfield guide: (Members only)
https://www.scramble.nl/planning/airfie ... pangdahlem (updated 23/4)

Links with photos:
https://www.scramble.nl/community/messa ... /41/162973 (with description of the mission times)
https://www.scramble.nl/community/messa ... /41/162756
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzLi6T. (Clicking a photo shows the spot where the picture were taken)
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzLrcn

[ypenburg63]

Frank,

From several sources on Facebook and from my own photos I can confirm the following 4 VT F-35s;

17-5265 ''158 FW''
17-5280
18-5339 and
18-5360.

So, that means that 18-5349 from your list is probably not at Spang.

Greetz,

Rolf

[Frank]

Thanks Rolf. Will update the list!

[Fink123]

No more KC135’s on base.

[JPS]

Growler 534 is the only one without NL code

[Hans van Herk]

Growler 534 is the only one without NL code

It is now coded NL. I do not know when, but somewhere during this deployment.

Regards,
Hans van Herk

[Krazy]

About 08:00 2x Growler, Returning around 14:00
About 10:00 4x F-35, returning around 15:00, most of the times accompanied by one or two KC-135s
About 15:30 2x Growler (but certainly not every day) returning around 19:00
Disclaimer. This is a pattern we see but no guarantee. F-35s fly more regular than the Growlers

...

14-5:
T/O 8:21: 4x F-35A, returned just before 15:00
T/O 10:10: 2x Growler, returned around 11:45
T/O 12:14: 4x F-35A, didn't wait for their return, weren't back at 15:15
T/O 14:00: 2x Growler (same as the morning mission) didn't wait for their return, weren't back at 15:15

[Frank]

Growler 534 is the only one without NL code

It is now coded NL. I do not know when, but somewhere during this deployment.

Regards,
Hans van Herk

Yes. Saw it at the easter weekend with NL code. https://flic.kr/p/2nfGkdU

[Fink123]

About 08:00 2x Growler, Returning around 14:00
About 10:00 4x F-35, returning around 15:00, most of the times accompanied by one or two KC-135s
About 15:30 2x Growler (but certainly not every day) returning around 19:00
Disclaimer. This is a pattern we see but no guarantee. F-35s fly more regular than the Growlers

...

14-5:
T/O 8:21: 4x F-35A, returned just before 15:00
T/O 10:10: 2x Growler, returned around 11:45
T/O 12:14: 4x F-35A, didn't wait for their return, weren't back at 15:15
T/O 14:00: 2x Growler (same as the morning mission) didn't wait for their return, weren't back at 15:15

12-05-2022
2x growlers departed around 0800 , arrived back at 1400 , 2x growlers left again around 1700

6x F35’s left around 10:00 and 4 back at 1500.
Other 2 landed after 1700? Or left to the Baltics?
2x F35 left 1700

Don’t know about the rest of the day because I left at 1700.

[JPS]

Growler 534 is the only one without NL code

It is now coded NL. I do not know when, but somewhere during this deployment.

Regards,
Hans van Herk

Thx Hans, I guess Spangdahlem paint shop has been busy helping the Navy. The 534 should have received the bird and the code on the tail somewhere half of April 2022.

[Key]

15-5:
Evening, 2x EA-18 were reported landing, but were F-35s according to other source. I have no idea.

16 & 17-5:
no Growlers flew AFAIK

18-5:
00.15-ish 2x fighter arr, followed by KC-10 some 15 min's later
09.00 2x F-35 dep, arr 15.16
10.59 2x F-35 dep, arr 17.11
17.20 2x F-35 dep, arr past midnight
17.34 1x KC-10 dep, arr past midnight
18.59 2x F-35 dep, arr at night?
no Growlers flew

19-5
08.19 1x EA-18 dep, arr around 12.15 (166946/NL-533, I missed the landing)
no F-35s flew AFAIK, perhaps related to thunderstorm activity
I left about 16.30

Tankers present these days were the same three Extenders that arrived on 14-5, plus one KC-135 parked between them of which I only saw the fintip (in heat haze, did not bother further).

Erik

[michel N]

May 15th two Growlers departed around 08.00 local (NL-533, NL-534).

[joost]

15-5:
Evening, 2x EA-18 were reported landing, but were F-35s according to other source. I have no idea. MAPLE41-42 were on Ops at around 23:12 indeed F35's, Growlers were heard in the morning at around 08:25

16 & 17-5:
no Growlers flew AFAIK On the 16th MAPLE11-12 had a weather recall and 21-22 were cancelled, I have not heard or logged any Growlers that day which fits with your statement . Their tanker was re-tasked to refuel NATO 01 (source: satphone).



Erik

[Key]

Many thanks Joost, that's great info.

Erik

[Le Addeur noir]

ETAD 19.05

166940 NL-533 ca 4 hour mission as SALSA11.

No other EA-18Gs, or F-35s seen flying this day.