NATO Allied Air Command: QRA/Air Policing

NATO Air Policing is a peacetime collective defence mission, safeguarding the integrity of the NATO Alliance member’s airspace. The principle of collective defence is the main focus of NATO’s founding treaty and it remains a unique and enduring principle that binds its members together, committing them to protect each other and setting a spirit of solidarity within the Alliance. In fact, all member nations contribute in some form to NATO air policing, be it through the use of national aerial surveillance systems, air traffic management, interceptor aircraft or other air defence measures.

On 12 September 2018, a media flight was organised by “Allied Air Command” (AAC) based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany; the European Air Transport Command (EATC) based at Eindhoven Air Base, the Netherlands; the “Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Torrejón”, based at Torrejón Air Base in Spain and the Belgian Air Force. 

A Belgian Air Force Airbus A321 flew a tour, overflying Europe, taking off from Brussels/Melsbroek Air Base (Belgium), flying via Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and France to Torrejon Air Base in Spain and back via France and Belgium to Brussels/Melsbroek Air Base, whereby, armed QRA aircraft of the following countries were showcased alongside the Airbus A321 that included:

● Germany: Two Eurofighters from Neuburg airbase

● Czechia: Two SaAir Base Gripens (JAS39) from Caslav airbase

● Slovakia: Two MiG-29AS/UBS from Sliač airbase

● Hungary: Two SaAir Base Gripens (JAS39) from Kecskemét airbase

● Croatia: Two MiG-21bisD/UMD (Mikoyan and Gurevich 21, Fishbed) from Pleso airbase

● Italy: Two Eurofighters  from 4th Stormo based at Grosseto airbase and 36th Stormo based at Gioia del Colle airbase

● France: One Dassault Mirage 2000C-RDI from BA Orange, One Dassault Rafale C from BA Mont-de-Marsan, One Dassault Mirage 2000-5 from BA Luxeuil airbase

● Spain: Two Boeing F-18s (Hornet) from Torrejon airbase (12 ALA) , Two Boeing  F-18s from (15  ALA) from Zaragoza airbase

● United Kingdom: One Eurofighter  from RAF Coningsby 

● Belgium: Two Lockheed Martin F-16s from Florennes airbase

NATO Allied Air Command

NATO Allied Air Command has its headquarter at Ramstein Air Base (Germany) and is led by US Air Force General (4 star) Tod D. Wolters. The Air Command has various tasks to perform including maintenance of NATO’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) and carrying out peacetime NATO Air Policing. Apart from that, Allied Air Command also provides Baltic Air Policing and the Iceland Air Policing. In order to fulfill the air operations task, NATO Allied Air Command has three operational units: Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) at Uedem, Germany; Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Torrejón at Torrejón Air Base in Spain and Deploy Air Basele Air Command and Control Centre (DACCC), at Poggio Renatico in Italy.

Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Uedem is headquartered near the city of Kalkar (Germany).  The primary mission of CAOC Uedem is to plan, direct, coordinate, monitor, analyse and report on the operations of air policing assigned to it in peace time, following the directives of NATO’s Allied Air Command. Their Area of Responsibility (AOR) covers roughly from mid-France to the Alps, to the Black Sea and northbound to the Baltic states, to Iceland and the United Kingdom.

Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Torrejón is headquartered at the Torrejón Air Force Base, north of Madrid, Spain.  Its primary missions consist of planning, directing, coordinating, monitoring, analysing and reporting on the operations of air policing assigned to it in peace time, following the directives of NATO’s Allied Air Command. Their Area of Responsibility (AOR) covers roughly from mid-France to the Alps, down to Turkey and via Mediterranean Sea to the Canary Islands and via Portugal and Spain back to mid-France. The skies of Spain, the southern half of France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Albania and Turkey, as well as the Black Sea and part of the Atlantic are covered by CAOC Torrejón and these tasks are carried out by 185 soldiers from 16 countries.

The Deploy Air Basele Air Command and Control Centre (DACCC), headquartered at Poggio Renatico in northern Italy, is used for surveillance and control of alliance air operations. Its mission is to prepare elements for worldwide operational deployment and together with the combined air operations centres located at Torrejon, Spain and Uedem, Germany, deliver well-trained and specialised experts to supplement Allied Air Command during allied operations and exercises.

The Baltic Air Policing, is a rotational air defence role taken up by the NATO countries, as the Baltic countries do not have the facilities to maintain their own air defence fighters on a 24/7 basis. In 2014, for few months, NATO partners deployed their fighters at Amari Air Base (Estonia) or Šiauliai Air Base (Lithuania) and during this period, fighters were shifted to eastern airbase of Malbork in Poland to be used by NATO partners on a rotational duty to protect the eastern NATO flank.

The Iceland Air Policing is also a rotational air defence role taken up by the NATO countries ever since the United States Air Force closed its permanent airbase in Iceland in 2006. For three to four months, NATO partners deployed their fighters to Iceland and since 2014 the aircraft have been placed on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) status and are armed with live missiles. The Iceland Air Policing missions are controlled by CAOC Uedem.

History Allied Air Command  

During the Cold War, NATO had various air headquarters in Europe, each responsible for their own region, north, south and centre. The NATO air powers in central Europe were divided into two regions: the 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force (2ATAF) covering the northern part of Germany, consisting the air forces of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany (partial) and the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force (4ATAF)  covering the southern part of Germany, consisting the air forces of the United States, Canada and Germany (partial)

On a regular basis, 2ATAF and 4ATAF exercises were held to compete with each other on a friendly basis, these exercises were called ‘Tactical Fight Meet’ for fighter aircraft and ‘Royal Flush’ for reconnaissance aircraft, later both exercises were merged into an annual ‘Tactical Air Meet’. After the breakdown of the Warsaw Pact in the 1990s, the NATO Air Forces regrouped into into two regions AIRNORTH and AIRSOUTH and after the latest reorganisation in 2012, only one Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) remained and it is based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, which is now responsible for all air and space matters within NATO.