Swiss Hornets at Neuburg for Joint Air Combat Training

Opportunities to see Swiss Air Force F/A-18 Hornets operating from a German air base have become increasingly rare. For a few days in late May 2026, Neuburg Air Base hosted four Swiss Hornets for an intensive programme of joint training with the Eurofighters of Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 74. The deployment not only highlighted the close cooperation between the German and Swiss air forces, but also offered aviation enthusiasts and photographers the chance to witness two of Europe’s most capable fighter aircraft training side by side.

Neuburg once again proved an ideal location for this type of exercise. The surrounding training areas and the available airspace over southern Germany provide an excellent environment for complex fighter operations, while allowing Swiss crews to train against one of Europe’s most advanced combat aircraft. For both air forces, the deployment offered a valuable opportunity to exchange tactics, procedures and operational experience under realistic conditions.

The exercise focused on Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT), allowing pilots from both air forces to sharpen their skills against a different fighter type. Rather than facing an aircraft with identical performance characteristics and tactics, crews were challenged to adapt to the unique strengths and capabilities of an unfamiliar opponent, making the training considerably more demanding and operationally relevant.

Throughout the deployment, a wide range of scenarios was flown, including one-versus-one and two-versus-two engagements, Basic Fighter Manoeuvres (BFM), as well as Beyond Visual Range (BVR) intercepts. These different mission profiles enabled the participating crews to train across the full spectrum of modern air combat.

The Eurofighters appeared in several different configurations depending on the mission profile. Some sorties were flown completely clean, without external stores, to maximise manoeuvrability during close-range engagements. Others carried an inert MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range missile together with IRIS-T short-range missiles, reflecting the different objectives of the individual training missions and allowing pilots to practise both visual and beyond-visual-range tactics.

Among the visiting aircraft, J-5017 attracted particular attention with its distinctive tail artwork representing Fliegerstaffel 17 “Falcons”, the operational F/A-18 squadron based at Payerne. Featuring the squadron’s striking falcon emblem, the aircraft has become one of the most recognisable Hornets in Swiss Air Force service and was naturally a favourite among photographers.

Equally noteworthy was J-5001, carrying an impressive collection of mission markings accumulated during numerous weapons evaluation and live missile firing campaigns. Although the aircraft spent much of its career supporting flight test and evaluation activities associated with Emmen Air Base and RUAG, many of the missions represented by these markings were flown during overseas detachments, particularly to the instrumented weapons ranges in the United Kingdom. Today, the Hornet has returned to regular front-line squadron service while retaining this unique record of its operational history.

The exercise was not limited to the participating military aircraft. On several occasions, A-4N Skyhawks operated by the Canadian company Top Aces also took part in the flying programme, providing additional adversary support. Having specialised for many years in contracted “Red Air” services, Top Aces routinely supports NATO and allied air forces by replicating the tactics and flight profiles of potential opponents. Their participation added another layer of realism to the exercise, exposing both Swiss and German fighter crews to a wider range of tactical scenarios and threat presentations than would have been possible with the participating Eurofighters and Hornets alone.

With the Swiss Air Force preparing for the gradual introduction of the F-35A alongside its existing Hornet fleet, opportunities to photograph these aircraft during overseas deployments are becoming less frequent. The Neuburg exercise therefore provided not only valuable operational training for both air forces, but also a memorable opportunity to document an important chapter in European military aviation before the eventual transition to Switzerland’s next generation of fighter aircraft.

Following are more photo impressions from the Swiss visit to Neuburg: