From 12-23 June 2023, the largest air force deployment exercise in NATO’s history took place. Twenty-five nations participated in the exercise, with around 10,000 personnel and 250 aircraft. During AD2023 there were three main hubs in Germany: Schleswig/Hohn, Wunstorf and Lechfeld. This report focusses on the operations of the Unites States’ Louisiana Air National Guard with their F-15Cs. The 159^th FW invited Recce Reports to the flight line of Hohn Air Base to watch the operations from close by.

Mission of the Louisiana Air National Guard
Normally the main mission of the 159th FW is to provide air superiority around the world. Anywhere the Louisiana F-15s are needed to establish air dominance. The unit is based at Naval Air Station joint Reserve Base New Orleans in Louisiana. The home station mission is sitting alert down the Gulf Coast, the state mission is helping with any kind of hurricane response duties.

The Eagles of the 159th wear the special JZ code on their tails, indicating their hometown New Orleans, the cradle of jazz music. During Air Defender the JZ Eagles often used the call sign ‘Jazz’. Nickname of the wing is Bayou Militia, referring to the extremely slow-moving streams and rivers, that are commonly found on the Gulf Coast, especially in the Mississippi River Delta.

Air Defender 2023
The JZ Eagles arrived on 5 June 2023 at Hohn Air Base, so the unit had some time to get adjusted to flying over Europe before the exercise started. The planning of Air Defender 2023 took some years. The Russian invasion and subsequent annexation of Crimea and the current war in Ukraine are examples of why it is important to ensure that NATO air forces are trained and ready to respond together.

The 159th brought 213 people in total to Hohn Airbase. 14 of them were pilots. Others were maintainers, support functions and medical personnel. During Air Defender 2023 the 159th mainly flew Defense Counter Air and Offensive Counter Air. Eagle Driver Tito enjoyed the exercise. “The scenarios were well thought out and put together, they were challenging. There were a lot of good lessons learned on the flying side.” On Saturday 24 June 2023 the JZ Eagles left Germany and flew back to the United States.

Our article about the Jazz Eagles at the exercise Air Defender 2023 is published in the October 2023 issue of Full Stop Magazine