Saab J 35 Draken in German Service — The Northern Falcon of the Bundesluftwaffe
(Excerpt from “Wings of the Federal Republic, 1955–1995”, Bundesarchiv-Militärgeschichtliche Sammlung, Koblenz Edition, 2002)

The introduction of the Saab J 35 Draken into the Bundesluftwaffe in the late 1960s was one of the more unconventional episodes in postwar German military aviation—a pragmatic, if politically delicate, decision born from the turbulence of the Starfighter crisis.

By 1966, the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter had become infamous for its alarmingly high accident rate. A combination of technical limitations, poor weather adaptation, and an overambitious multirole doctrine led to the loss of more than 100 aircraft and the deaths of dozens of pilots. Public and parliamentary outrage forced the Ministry of Defence to reevaluate the structure of the Luftwaffe’s tactical air arm.

Rejecting the previous “one type fits all” philosophy, the Luftwaffe sought to diversify its fleet. In a remarkable move that surprised NATO partners, Bonn authorized the procurement of several non-NATO designs—among them the Swedish Saab J 35 Draken, renowned for its reliability, high-altitude performance, and forgiving flight behavior.

Between 1967 and 1969, a total of 76 J 35F-2 “Draken” aircraft were purchased under the program Projekt Eiskralle (“Ice Claw”). Delivered directly from Saab’s Linköping facility, the German Drakens received minor avionics modifications, including NATO-compatible IFF systems and additional radio equipment for joint operations. The aircraft were assigned primarily to Jagdgeschwader 43 (Oldenburg) and Jagdgeschwader 46 (Hopsten), where they filled the gap between the aging Starfighters and the forthcoming Tornado multirole strike aircraft.

In Luftwaffe service, the Draken quickly earned the reputation of being a pilot’s aircraft. Its double-delta wing gave it superb high-speed stability and excellent low-speed control—an advantage during air defense scrambles in the harsh North Sea weather conditions. It was also one of the first Western fighters capable of executing the so-called “cobra-style” high-alpha maneuvers, which impressed NATO observers during exercises such as Schwarzer Sturm ’72 and Nordlicht ’75.

Operationally, the Drakens were primarily used for quick-reaction intercept missions over the North German plain and the Baltic approaches, often operating in tandem with Marineflieger reconnaissance units. In the late 1970s, several aircraft were upgraded to carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder and later the German-developed IRIS-T missile for evaluation purposes.

Compared to the Starfighter, the Draken enjoyed an excellent safety record—only five aircraft were lost to accidents during more than two decades of service. Maintenance crews praised the rugged Swedish construction and the ease of field servicing compared to American designs.

When the Panavia Tornado IDS entered service in the early 1980s, the Draken’s front-line role was gradually reduced. The last operational Drakens of JG 43 were retired in 1991, marking the end of over two decades of dependable service.

Post-retirement, 20 airframes were sold to private aerospace companies, including EADS Flight Systems and Top Aces GmbH, where they served as “aggressor aircraft” simulating Warsaw Pact fighters during NATO air combat training. The remaining aircraft were either scrapped or transferred to Austria, where they continued to fly well into the 21st century.

Although the purchase had initially raised eyebrows within NATO, history vindicated the decision. The Saab Draken proved to be a reliable, versatile, and—above all—safe alternative during one of the most politically and technically challenging eras of the Bundesluftwaffe.

“While others fell from the sky, the Swede stayed aloft,” one veteran pilot of JG 43 recalled. “It wasn’t the fastest, but it never betrayed you.”

The model shows a Saab Draken of  Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen" in April 1971