Hopsten Air Base

The closure was a direct result of the post-Cold War restructuring and downsizing of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). Following German reunification and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the strategic need for a large number of forward air bases diminished. Hopsten Air Base was one of many military installations closed as part of a broader defense reform aimed at creating a smaller, more mobile, and more efficient military force.

The former air base has undergone a major civilian conversion project. A large portion of the site, including parts of the runway and taxiways, has been transformed into one of Germany's largest photovoltaic power plants, known as 'Solarpark Dreierwalde'. The remaining areas and buildings, including the hardened aircraft shelters (HAS), have been redeveloped into a commercial and industrial park ('Gewerbe- und Industriepark am alten Flugplatz'). The shelters are used by various companies for storage and business operations. The remaining runway sections are sometimes used for events, driver safety training, and vehicle testing.

Hopsten Air Base, known in German as 'Fliegerhorst Hopsten', has a significant military history. It was originally constructed by the Luftwaffe in the late 1930s and used during World War II. After the war, it was taken over by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) before being handed back to the newly formed West German Air Force (Luftwaffe) in 1961. During the Cold War, it was a critical NATO forward operating base, located close to the Inner German border. Its primary role was air defense and fighter-bomber operations. The base was home to several notable units, most famously Jagdbombergeschwader 36 (JaboG 36) and later Jagdgeschwader 72 (JG 72) 'Westfalen'. It operated iconic Cold War aircraft, including the F-104 Starfighter and, for most of its later life, the F-4F Phantom II. Its former ICAO code when active was ETNP.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Hopsten Air Base as an active airport for either military or civilian use. The extensive and permanent conversion of the site into a large-scale solar park and an industrial zone makes a return to aviation operations economically and logistically infeasible. The infrastructure is no longer maintained to aviation standards, and the land has been permanently repurposed for renewable energy generation and commercial enterprise.