German Air Force

The German Air Force (German: Luftwaffe , the German-language generic term for air force) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of Germany. With a strength of 28,508 personnel (30 November 2015), it is the fourth largest air force within the European Union, after the air forces of the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Although its budget has been significantly reduced since the end of the Cold War in 1989/90, the Luftwaffe is still among the best-equipped air forces of the world, although it currently suffers from high levels of aircraft unserviceability.