The wing is equipped with the Patriot air defense missile system.

The unit was established in 1959 as Air Defense Regiment 3 in Essen and was equipped with Bofors 40 mm guns.

[1] On 1 January 2011, Air Defence Missile Wing 1 took formal responsibility of the short-range protection system MANTIS.

To operate this weapons system, the air force called into service an additional anti-aircraft group at Husum on 1 April 2011.

Based on the agreement between Germany and The Netherlands signed in 2013, the Air Defence Missile Group 61 (Flugabwehrraketengruppe 61) will be integrated in The Netherlands ground-based Air Defence Organisation as part of the close cooperation between both countries from 2016 onwards.