Key takeaways
- A club with a crest requirement: The NATO Tiger Association unites squadrons that carry a tiger in their crest. It is not part of the formal NATO structure but an independent association.
- Since 1961: The first meet took place on July 19, 1961, at RAF Woodbridge in England, at the invitation of the US 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
- A real exercise, not an air show: A Tiger Meet typically lasts about two weeks, with local missions in the morning and large mixed formation missions (COMAO) in the afternoon.
- Prizes for skill and color: The Silver Tiger goes to the best squadron, and there is also a prize for the best Tiger aircraft, among others – which is why the paint schemes are so elaborate.
- Spotter days are your way in: Many hosts open the base to registered spotters for one or two days. Tickets are limited and often gone quickly.
- Germany is right in the middle: Tactical Air Wing 51 (TaktLwG 51) from Schleswig-Jagel and Tactical Air Wing 74 (TaktLwG 74) from Neuburg an der Donau are full members, as is the NATO AWACS force from Geilenkirchen.
Contents
A Tornado with orange and black stripes all the way into the engine intakes, next to an F-16 with a tiger head on its tail, and behind it a helicopter in big-cat colors: at the NATO Tiger Meet, a military base looks like an open-air art project for two weeks. For spotters, the gathering of the Tiger squadrons is one of the highlights of the military calendar. Here you will find out who is behind the Tiger Meet, how the exercise works, which prizes are awarded and how you can get into one of the sought-after spotter days.
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NATO Tiger Meet: the short answer
The NATO Tiger Meet is the annual gathering of the NATO Tiger Association, a group of squadrons from NATO and partner countries that all carry a tiger in their crest. Each year, a different member squadron hosts the meet at its base. For about two weeks, the participants fly joint training missions, keep up their traditions and compete in contests – right down to the question of who brought the best-painted aircraft.
For you as a spotter, that means: in one place and in a short time, you see a colorful mix of fighter jets, helicopters and support aircraft from many countries, many of them in one-of-a-kind Tiger designs. How these paint schemes come about and why they often fly only briefly is described in detail in the article NATO Tiger Meet and military special liveries. This one is about the event itself.
Where the Tiger Meet comes from
The idea is older than most of the aircraft that take part today. On July 19, 1961, the US 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron, then stationed in England, invited two other squadrons with a tiger in their crest to RAF Woodbridge: the Royal Air Force’s No. 74 Squadron and the French EC 1/12 “Cambrésis”. The background was the wish of the then French defense minister Pierre Messmer to strengthen ties between the alliance’s air forces. The meet was so well received that it became a permanent fixture. Eight squadrons already came to the second meet in 1962.
The goals formulated at that second meet still apply today, according to the Tiger Association: strengthen cohesion among the NATO partners, promote team spirit and comradeship among the crews, and exchange experience in the spirit of the alliance’s military goals. The association stresses that it does not depend on any NATO headquarters. Guidelines come from the members’ own assembly, and the host squadron takes care of planning each meet.
The tiger itself is the unifying element: anyone who has a tiger head or a tiger figure in the squadron crest can become a member. That is where the colorful mix comes from. Not only fighter squadrons wear tigers, but also helicopter units, naval aviators and even an early-warning force.
Who belongs to the Tiger squadrons
The NATO Tiger Association distinguishes several types of membership: full members, honorary members, probationary members and former and disbanded squadrons. The full members include around two dozen units from all over Europe. Honorary members are mainly squadrons from the USA, plus units from Canada and India. The following selection shows some full members you often see at the Tiger Meet (membership list as of fall 2026):
| Country | Squadron | Home base | Type at the Tiger Meet 2024–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 31 Smaldeel | Kleine Brogel | F-16A/B MLU |
| Germany | TaktLwG 51 “Immelmann” | Schleswig-Jagel | Tornado IDS and ECR |
| Germany | TaktLwG 74 | Neuburg an der Donau | Eurofighter |
| Germany | NATO E-3A force | Geilenkirchen | E-3A Sentry |
| France | Flottille 11F (Navy) | Landivisiau | Rafale M |
| Greece | 335 Mira | Araxos | F-16C/D |
| Italy | 12° Gruppo | Gioia del Colle | Eurofighter |
| Poland | 6. Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego | Poznań-Krzesiny | F-16C/D |
| Switzerland | Fliegerstaffel 11 | Meiringen | F/A-18C/D Hornet |
| Spain | Ala 15 | Zaragoza | EF-18 Hornet |
| Czech Republic | 211. taktická letka | Čáslav | JAS 39C/D Gripen |
| Hungary | 101/1 Squadron | Kecskemét | JAS 39C/D Gripen |
The types are a snapshot. Many air forces are currently transitioning, for example to the F-35. The Dutch 313 Squadron already flew with F-35s in 2024, and in Germany the Panavia Tornado will be retired in the coming years and replaced by F-35s and Eurofighters. So if you still catch a Tornado in tiger stripes at the Tiger Meet, you are photographing a subject with an expiration date.
Germany in the Tiger association
Germany takes part with several units. Tactical Air Wing 51 “Immelmann” (Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51) from Schleswig-Jagel hosted in 2024 and brought the Heron drone along in addition to Tornados. Tactical Air Wing 74 from Neuburg an der Donau flies the Eurofighter Typhoon and is known for its Tiger designs. Where you can regularly see the Eurofighter outside the Tiger Meet is covered in the guide Spotting the Eurofighter in Germany.
The third German full member is somewhat unusual: the multinational NATO early-warning force from Geilenkirchen with the Boeing E-3 Sentry. You can read more about this force and spotting there under NATO air base Geilenkirchen, and you will find an established location with the Teveren spotters’ hill. The naval aviation squadron 3/MFG 5 from Nordholz is listed as a probationary member.
How a Tiger Meet works
Even if the pictures look like a show: the Tiger Meet is first and foremost a training exercise. The Tiger Association describes a typical meet as lasting about twelve days. At an average two-week meet, there are at least 800 sorties.
1. Arrival and opening
The squadrons arrive, briefings follow, and flying usually starts on the very first day. At the opening ceremony, the flags of all participants are raised.
2. First exercise week
In the morning, the participants usually fly local missions among themselves, and in the afternoon large mixed formations, so-called COMAO (Composite Air Operations). Every mission is planned, briefed, flown and debriefed.
3. Tiger Games
Toward the end of the first week, the squadrons compete in the Tiger Games, a mix of fun and sport.
4. Second exercise week
The training missions get more intense. Helicopters practice, among other things, inserting and picking up ground troops as well as rescue missions (CSAR).
5. Wrap-up
The flags are lowered, and the prizes are awarded at the farewell evening – above all the Silver Tiger.
This rhythm matters for spotters. If you stand at the fence on a normal exercise day, you mostly see the takeoffs and landings of the mission waves. The aircraft then fly real exercise profiles, not demonstrations. That means takeoff times follow the exercise schedule, and on days with bad weather in the exercise area, it can stay quiet for a long time.
Traditions off the runway
The Tiger Meet comes with customs you do not find at normal exercises. Each squadron brings at least one two-seater if possible, so that crews can swap rides with other nations. The squadrons exchange gifts and wear tiger flight suits, scarves and their own name tags. A fixture is International Night, when each squadron presents food, drinks and music from its home country. After the opening ceremony, the host squadron’s commander sends the participants off with the traditional cry “Tiger – Tiger – Tiger.”
The Silver Tiger and the other prizes
The most important prize is the Silver Tiger. Its history begins in 1977, when the Tiger Meet took place at the International Air Tattoo at RAF Greenham Common. The London silversmith Mappin & Webb donated a silver tiger at the suggestion of the RAF Benevolent Fund, and it quickly became a trophy. The winning squadron keeps it until the next full Tiger Meet and attaches a small plaque with the year to the wooden base. According to the Tiger Association’s winners list, the record holder is the Belgian 31 Smaldeel from Kleine Brogel.
There are other awards as well, and one of them is the reason spotters travel from far away: the prize for the best Tiger aircraft. It rewards the most elaborate and successful paint scheme and makes sure that many squadrons design new looks year after year.
| Tiger Meet | Host | Silver Tiger | Best Tiger aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | TaktLwG 51, Schleswig-Jagel | 6. ELT, Poland | TaktLwG 51, Germany |
| 2025 | Esq 301, Beja (Portugal) | Fliegerstaffel 11, Switzerland | Esq 301, Portugal |
| 2026 | 335 Mira, Araxos (Greece) | 12° Gruppo, Italy | 12° Gruppo, Italy |
Further prizes go to the best operational performance (“Best OPS”), the best uniform, the Tiger Games, the best sketch and a special prize for Tiger spirit. The Tiger Association publishes the results on its website after each meet.
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The latest Tiger Meets at a glance
The Tiger Meet moves every year. The dates are usually in spring but can also slip into the fall, as in 2023 in Italy and 2025 in Portugal. A selection of past years:
| Year | Base | Host | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Poznań-Krzesiny, Poland | 6. ELT | May |
| 2019 | Mont-de-Marsan, France | EC 3/30 | May |
| 2022 | Araxos, Greece | 335 Mira | May |
| 2023 | Gioia del Colle, Italy | 12° Gruppo | October |
| 2024 | Schleswig-Jagel, Germany | TaktLwG 51 | June 3–13 |
| 2025 | Beja, Portugal | Esq 301 | September 21 – October 3 |
| 2026 | Araxos, Greece | 335 Mira | May 4–15 |
During the pandemic years, the calendar was thrown off, and meets were postponed or canceled. For 2027, the Tiger Association has named the Italian 12° Gruppo in Gioia del Colle as host. Dates and visitor offerings are only announced shortly beforehand – so check the official channels before any planning.
The field of participants is broad. In 2024 in Jagel, the aircraft included Rafales of the French Navy and Air Force, F/A-18 Hornets from Switzerland, Gripens from the Czech Republic, F-16s from Greece, Turkey and Poland, and French Army helicopters such as the Gazelle, Tigre and NH90. In 2025, the Royal Navy’s AW101 Merlin also took part, in 2025 and 2026 the Italian HH-101 Caesar was there, and in 2026 also the Czech UH-1Y Venom. If you want to tell the types apart confidently in the sky, Identifying fighter jets in Europe will help.
Spotter days: your way into the Tiger Meet
The best thing about the Tiger Meet for spotters is the spotter days. Many hosts open the base for registered photographers on one or two days. You then stand in a designated area close to the taxiways or runway and see the mission waves from a perspective that is impossible from the fence. Some hosts combine this with a public air show.
Here is how that looked in recent years:
- 2024, Schleswig-Jagel: two spotter days on June 7 and 10 with 1,500 tickets each, sold through the wing’s own page.
- 2025, Beja: The Portuguese Air Force offered two spotter days on September 24 and October 1, with registration through the Tiger Meet’s official page.
- 2026, Araxos: In April, registration opened for the spotters day through the Greek Air Force’s channels. The Tiger Association explicitly pointed to binding rules on access, safety, permitted equipment and conduct.
No registration, no entry
Spotter days take place on military grounds. You usually need to sign up beforehand with ID details, stick to the equipment requirements and follow the staff’s instructions. If you show up without confirmation, you will be standing at the gate.
Where to find dates
The most reliable sources are the website and social media channels of the NATO Tiger Association, the pages of the host air force and the channels of the host wing. Dates and registration links usually appear there a few weeks to months in advance. If a German unit is the host, it is also worth a look at the offerings described in the article Bundeswehr Day and open days of the Luftwaffe. You can find more major military events in the overview Air shows in Europe.
Book a spotter day if …
- you want to photograph Tiger jets up close and while taxiing
- you can register in time and travel flexibly
- you can spend a whole day in one area
Choose an open day or air show if …
- the host offers a public day
- you are traveling with family or friends
- static displays and demonstrations matter more to you than taxiway shots
On your own at the fence if …
- there is a publicly accessible, permitted location
- you know the photography and access rules on site
- watching takeoffs and landings from a distance is enough for you
Important for that last option: different rules apply at a military airfield than at a civilian airport, and they differ from country to country. Read the article Photographing a military airfield: rules beforehand. A long telephoto lens at the fence of a military base stands out; what to keep in mind in such situations is explained in Big telephoto lens, big suspicion.
Photography at the Tiger Meet
A spotter day is long, and the subjects come in waves. A few points make the difference:
- Focal length for taxiways and takeoffs: On the spotter areas, you are usually closer than at the fence, but you still need a telephoto zoom for departing jets. Which focal lengths work well is covered in the guide Lens and focal length for plane spotting.
- Light and position: The spotter area is fixed, the sun is not. Check beforehand how the runway lies and when the sun is behind you. In southern Europe, for example in Araxos or Beja, strong heat haze is added around midday.
- Panning at takeoffs: Helicopters and propellers look livelier with a longer exposure time. The technique behind it is explained in Panning technique.
- Gear for the whole day: Sun protection, water, spare batteries and memory cards. A suitable packing list is provided by the Air show day checklist.
- Documentation: For every Tiger jet, note the serial number, squadron and design name while you still remember which aircraft was which. How to record special paint schemes systematically is shown in Collecting and documenting special liveries.
If you want to keep an eye on jets outside the spotter days, live data helps. However, many military aircraft do not continuously transmit usable position data. What is possible and what is not is described in Tracking military aircraft online.
Are you ready for the next Tiger Meet?
- I know the host, base and dates of the next Tiger Meet.
- I follow the channels of the Tiger Association and the host.
- I know whether there is a spotter day and how registration works.
- I have read the rules on ID and permitted equipment.
- I know the runway orientation and the light at the time of day.
- I have arranged travel and accommodation in good time.
Plan your Tiger Meet, share your sightings
Plan your light with the sun position planner, post your Tiger jets with type and registration and swap notes with other spotters in the Planetrack community. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist and get early access.
Conclusion
The NATO Tiger Meet is an exercise with history: begun in 1961 as a gathering of three squadrons at Woodbridge, today an association of many Tiger squadrons from Europe and beyond. For two weeks, the training is serious, but traditions, competitions and above all the prize for the best Tiger aircraft make the meet one of the most colorful dates in military aviation. For spotters, the best route is through the spotter days – with early registration, clear rules and a plan for light and gear.
Quick verdict
Keep an eye on the channels of the NATO Tiger Association and the host, secure a spot at the spotter day early and stick to the rules on military grounds. Then you will get Tiger jets from many countries in front of your lens in one place.
Summary
- The NATO Tiger Meet is the annual gathering of the NATO Tiger Association, a group of squadrons with a tiger in their crest. It began in 1961 in Woodbridge and has moved to a different host every year since.
- The exercise combines local training missions and large formation missions with traditions such as the flag ceremony, the Tiger Games and International Night. At the end, prizes are awarded, the most important being the Silver Tiger.
- For spotters, the tiger paint schemes are the main attraction. A separate prize for the best Tiger aircraft makes sure the squadrons bring new designs every year.
- If you want to see the jets up close, keep an eye out for spotter days: registration runs through the hosts and the Tiger Association, places are limited, and strict rules apply on site.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NATO Tiger Meet?
The NATO Tiger Meet is the annual gathering of the NATO Tiger Association. Squadrons from different countries that carry a tiger in their crest come together at one base for about two weeks and fly joint training missions. It also includes traditions such as flag ceremonies, competitions and the presentation of the Silver Tiger.
How long has the Tiger Meet existed?
Since 1961. On July 19, 1961, the US 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron invited the Royal Air Force’s No. 74 Squadron and the French squadron EC 1/12 to RAF Woodbridge. This gave rise to the association of Tiger squadrons, which has met regularly ever since.
Is the NATO Tiger Association part of NATO?
Not in the formal sense. The association sees itself as a group that promotes cooperation and cohesion among NATO air forces, but by its own account it does not depend on any NATO headquarters. Each meet is organized by the host squadron.
Which German units take part in the Tiger Meet?
Full members are Tactical Air Wing 51 “Immelmann” from Schleswig-Jagel, Tactical Air Wing 74 from Neuburg an der Donau and the NATO AWACS force from Geilenkirchen. The naval aviation squadron 3/MFG 5 from Nordholz is listed as a probationary member.
What is the Silver Tiger?
The Silver Tiger is the most important prize of the Tiger Meet. The silver figure joined the Tiger community in 1977, when the meet took place at the International Air Tattoo at Greenham Common. The winning squadron keeps it until the next full Tiger Meet and adds a small plaque to the base.
How do I get to the spotter day at the Tiger Meet?
Spotter days are organized by the respective host and are usually announced a few weeks in advance on the NATO Tiger Association website, the host air force’s pages and its social media channels. You register ahead of time, often with ID details, and get a fixed date. Quotas are limited; at the 2024 Tiger Meet in Jagel there were 1,500 tickets per day.
Where is the next Tiger Meet?
The 2026 Tiger Meet ran from May 4 to 15 in Araxos, Greece. As the host for 2027, the NATO Tiger Association has named the Italian squadron 12° Gruppo in Gioia del Colle. Exact dates and any spotter days are only announced shortly beforehand.
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