Active duty of JG 74 began in 1961 with the North American F-86 K Sabre. Since then the squadron was located in Neuburg a.d. Donau in the North of Munich. In 1964 the squadrons first Lockheed F-104 G Starfighter landed in Neuburg. In 1973 the JG 74 get its tradition-name: Geschwader Moelders. Werner Moelders was a German fighter ace in World War II and the first pilot who reached 100 air victories. 28 years old he was promoted to the Inspekteur of the German fighter pilots. On November 22th 1941 he died when his Heinkel He-111 crash-landed because both engines failed. 
In 1974 the McDonnell Douglas F-4 F Phantom II began to replace the F-104 G Starfighter.

Today the squadron still use the F-4 F. All aircraft underwent an ICE-(Increased Combat Efficency)-program in the early 90ies. An improved Hughes APG-65 radar, the AIM-120 AMRAAM and other avionic modifications give the F-4 F ICE state-of-the-art performance in combat beyond visual range. The Phantom II will stay in service as an interceptor until the Eurofighter is operational sometime in the next century ...

For more infos about the German F-4F check out FLUGREVUE-Online; Luftwaffe forced to keep its F-4Fs .