1957–1967: the light aviation section

The Luxembourg Army, whose forces date from 1881, had no aircraft of its own for most of its history. The Army’s own history page says its ‘section d’aviation légère’ was founded in spring 1957 with three Piper L-18C Super Cubs, a military version of the PA-18-95, flown on observation and courier missions by pilots and mechanics trained in Belgium, France and Germany. When compulsory military service ended in 1967 and the Army became all-volunteer, the section no longer fitted the new structure and was disbanded. English Wikipedia gives slightly different dates, 1952 to 1968, for the same three aircraft; the Army’s own dates are used here. For the next four decades the Grand Duchy’s military flying meant only its share in NATO programmes, above all the AWACS fleet at Geilenkirchen, whose aircraft English Wikipedia says are registered in Luxembourg and carry the Luxembourg Army roundel.

2001–2020: one A400M, flown from Belgium

The modern air arm began with a single aircraft. On 13 June 2001 Luxembourg and Belgium agreed to buy and operate an Airbus A400M together, Belgium undertaking to fly it, support it and train the joint crews; OCCAR signed the final contract for the seven partner nations on 27 May 2003. Luxembourg pilots joined Belgium’s 15th Air Transport Wing at Melsbroek and began flying transport missions in early 2013, according to the Army. Luxembourg’s A400M, CT-01, was handed over at Luxembourg airport on 7 October 2020 — the first of the eight aircraft in the binational unit — and landed at Melsbroek on 9 October, where it is flown by 20 Squadron with the seven Belgian aircraft. English Wikipedia says the last of the eight was delivered in 2024. The arrangement gives a country of Luxembourg’s size a strategic transport it could never support alone, but it also means its only aeroplane lives, and is maintained, in another country.

Helicopters for the police and the army

Luxembourg’s other military aircraft are two Airbus H145M helicopters. English Wikipedia says they were ordered in July 2018 for the Army, to be dual-role for the Grand Ducal Police, and records a delivery in January 2020; the Luxembourg Armed Forces article says both were received that month, while the H145M article mentions only one, so the delivery date of the second is uncertain. The Directorate of Defence describes its role as making the two helicopters available and supporting them, in coordination with the police, for internal security tasks on Luxembourg territory. Where they are based and who flies them day to day was not stated on the official pages reached, so no base is given for them here. They are not combat helicopters, and they are the only military aircraft actually kept in Luxembourg.

Pooled aircraft: AWACS, tankers and drones

Most of Luxembourg’s air effort is pooled. The Directorate of Defence lists its contributions as the A400M and the A330 MRTT tankers of the Multinational MRTT Fleet at Eindhoven, the NATO AWACS force at Geilenkirchen, and NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance RQ-4D Phoenix drones at Sigonella. Under a service contract it also provides a Beech King Air 350 maritime patrol aircraft over the Mediterranean for the EU operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini, a contracted aircraft rather than a military one. NATO lists Luxembourg as one of 16 full participants in the AWACS programme. This is a sensible use of a small budget — Luxembourg’s 2035 defence guidelines aimed for 1 per cent of GDP no earlier than 2028 — but it means almost none of the aircraft that carry its roundel or its money are crewed or based in Luxembourg.

2023–2026: an Air Department, and what has changed

The law of 7 August 2023 on military organisation created an Air Department (Département Air) within the Army’s strategic division, the first formal home for military aviation since 1967; English Wikipedia instead says Luxembourg has had an air force since 2021, a claim not found on the Army’s own pages. The 2035 guidelines call for developing the air component above all in close cooperation with Belgium, the Netherlands and the other members of the European Air Transport Command. Since 2024 the fleet has not changed in the sources reached: one A400M and two H145Ms. In 2026 Luxembourg was one of 11 Allies that announced, at NATO’s Ankara summit, a joint purchase of Saab GlobalEye aircraft to succeed part of the E-3A AWACS fleet. No purchase of armed or surveillance drones of its own, such as the MQ-9, was found on the official pages reached.

Frota atual e encomendas

Airbus, Helicópteros Airbus, Saab

Antiga frota

Piper