Fifty-six-year-old Lieutenant General Holger Neumann, an experienced fighter pilot, has been appointed as the new commander of the German Air Force, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The ceremonial inauguration took place last night at the Wunstorf air base in the state of Lower Saxony.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stressed that General Neumann had worked his way up the military hierarchy - from the lowest level to the top - and was highly respected among servicemen.
“The tasks remain difficult, and some are becoming even more difficult“, the minister said, referring to the war in Europe and the need to strengthen NATO's eastern flank near Russia.
Bundeswehr Inspector General Carsten Breuer paid tribute to the previous Air Force commander, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, under whose leadership the Luftwaffe had become “fit for war“. Breuer described Neumann as one of the best generals and called him a “Eurofighter pilot with heart and soul“.
After seven years at the helm of the air force, General Gerhartz will take on a new role as NATO Chief of Staff in Brunssum, the Netherlands.
General Neumann, whose pilot call sign is “Hawk“, began his career in the armed forces as a paratrooper in 1988-1989. In recent years, he commanded squadrons of the tactical air force and air transport units, as well as being responsible for the training infrastructure of the air force.
With over 2,800 flight hours on combat aircraft such as the “Tornado“ and the “Eurofighter“, Neumann takes command with a wealth of practical and strategic experience.
As the new Inspector General of the Luftwaffe, he will also oversee the deployment of the Israeli Arrow 3 missile defense system, designed to destroy missiles at altitudes of over 100 kilometers. The first elements of the system will be deployed next year.