The first use for gunnery purposes was by the Wehrmacht in 1933, when the heaths to the east of the town of Nordhorn were used for artillery target practice.

During the Cold War, the daily flights over the town of Nordhorn were a constant reminder to the local townspeople of the ongoing struggle with the Soviets, despite the great distance to the border with communist East Germany.

Despite the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the base remained as one of the few military facilities used by British Armed Forces in Germany.

In 1996, as British forces were withdrawn from the rest of Germany, the Nordhorn aerodrome was expanded.

Also in 1996, the UK Ministry of Defence decided to hand control of the base to the German government within a timeframe of ten years.