Husum

54°30'34"N 009°08'13"E

runway: 03/21 - 1450x30m - asphalt (pre-1993: 2440x98m/8005x98ft)

Husum airfield (German: Fliegerhorst Husum or Flugplatz Husum, also (but incorrectly) known as Schwesing Air Base, ICAO: EDXJ, before 1993: EDNH) is an airfield 120 kilometers north-northwest of Hamburg.
The airfield history began as a fake airfield for Husum-Narrenthal during World War-II. The British Air Force of Occupation converted it into a real airfield from 1947, however. Although they completed the airfield, they did not assign any squadrons to it.

The airbase was transferred to the new Luftwaffe on 1 Oktober 1959. It became home to JaBoG 35 (Jagdbombergeschwader35 of 35 Fighter-Bomber Wing) flying F-84 Thunderstreaks and 4 T-33 trainers. The Wing transferred to the new FIAT G-91 fighter bomber in 1966, signalling a new name for the unit. It was now known as Leichtes Kampfgeschwader 41 (LKG41 or 41 Light Attack Wing). With the transition to the Alpha Jet in 1980 the Wing was renamed again, this time becoming JaBoG 41.


Retired Luftwaffe G-91 99+48 on the platform in front of the tower at Husum airfield in 2005 (flightsim.com).

When JaBoG41 disbanded after the end of the Cold War the southwest part of the airfield became a civilian airfield. The Northeast side remained part of the Luftwaffe, and became home to Flugabwehrrakettengeschwader (FlaRakG) 1 "Schleswig-Holstein" in 2001. FlaRakG 1 (English: Air Defense Missile Wing 1) was equipped with the MIM-104 Patriot Surface to Air Missile (SAM) and HAWK missile systems. The HAWKs were withdrawn in 2001. The group took control of the army's Mantis SHORAD (Short Range Air Defense) systems in 2011. 
The military part is closed off from the airfield by a fence, which encompases the former air base minus the civilian airfield and also crosses the runway. The civilian part of the airfield is in charge of the control tower, some hangars, a parking and 1450m of the runway (the southern half). It is run by the Flughafen Husum GmbH & Co. KG. The airfield is open to aircraft up to 14 tonnes and helicopters up to 10 tonnes.


Overview of Husum airbase in 2008. The northern half of the runways clearly having been closed with large X's painted on the runway (Google Earth)