German Navy expresses interest in Schwerin-Parchim Airport

Drone base in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania?

It was supposed to become a cargo hub between Asia and Europe and attract tourists with a shopping mall: Schwerin-Parchim Airport. Various investors had big plans for the former military airfield with its 3,000-meter runway and 24-hour flight permit. Now it could be used for its original purpose again. The German Navy has expressed interest in the location for stationing aircraft and drones.

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    The last owner of Schwerin-Parchim Airport, Jonathan Pang, filed for bankruptcy back in 2019. The Chinese investor had already had a new tower built and wanted to construct a kind of leisure park with a shopping mall directly adjacent to the airfield. Since the money ran out, not much has happened at the airfield. Hundreds of cars are temporarily stored on the runway, and some companies use the extensive grounds for test drives.

    German Navy seeks new location

    It has now been announced that the German Navy may be interested in the airfield. This was reported by Parchim’s mayor, Dirk Flörke (CDU), to NDR. A spokeswoman for the Navy’s press and information center also confirmed this when asked by the Nordkurier editorial team.

    The reason behind this move is simply a lack of space. In addition to its only location in Nordholz, the German Navy is looking for another site to station naval aircraft, including drones, which are to be used for maritime surveillance. With its infrastructure and location, Schwerin-Parchim Airport offers ideal conditions for this.

    The military use of Schwerin-Parchim Airport has a long tradition. The site was of considerable strategic importance, especially during the Nazi regime. In 1937, the area was reactivated when the German Air Force built a military airfield there. The Parchim site subsequently developed into a central hub that was home to both airborne troops and night fighter squadrons. This came to an abrupt end in April 1945 when the US Air Force attacked the airfield and largely destroyed it. As early as 1949, the restored airfield was used by Soviet troops as a strategic base. After decades of use, the site was repurposed in 1973 and from then on served primarily as a base for helicopter units. The Soviet armed forces finally withdrew from the site in 1992.

    Photo: AdobeStock – Angelika Bentin


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