Green light to European Air Command EATC. A small revolution
In a few months Europe will have its first European Military Air Transport Command (EATC). The French, German, Belgian and Dutch defense ministers gave the last green light to the informal council in Palma-de-Mallorca. A "little revolution" in the world of defense forces.
Do not be misled by this term. The EATC is not a command that trains and is ready to go, just in case...like Eurocorps or Euromarfor. It is an operational command which, on a day-to-day basis, will "regulate" the military air movements of the four countries - Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands - which have chosen to work together. One could almost speak of a solid embryo of "European Air Forces".
L'OPCON - the operational control - of the aircraft concerned is, in fact, transferred to EATC. This means that if a French or German Transall - placed in the force - will receive its flight orders from Eindhoven and no longer from its national command. It will be able to take Belgian and Dutch freight on the outward journey and German soldiers on the return trip... A State may, however, reserve the possibility of using aircraft for national missions (for example for SAR missions - rescue or search - or commando missions, as well as VIP transport) or place "caveats".
Concretely,EATC will plan the transport of passengers or freight, distribute them between the planes according to destinations and availability, and no longer according to nationalities. "Ithere is a change of nature - explains a senior -. Until now, we operated on the principle of a stock exchange (e.g. for Operation Chad) or ad hoc (you go to Haiti, you can take me x personal)”. Now it will be more integrated. « Un much like "Sky team" or a military "Star alliance". The objective is to maximize the use of air assets which are becoming scarce. The armies of different countries can no longer afford to send three planes to the same destination half full. This is the first restructuring - merger of resources on a European scale.
The new device
Le command center will be located at the Eindhoven military air base which will regulate all aspects of military air transport, including mission planning and execution, training and flight safety. It will be operational from July. The assumption of command is scheduled for September 1, 2010 and the initial operational capability (IOC) should be reached, just before Christmas, December 22, 2010.
Nearly 170 officers will eventually be based in the Netherlands - including 46 French and 65 German. In concrete terms, this means that part of the military air transport operational control (COTAM) personnel from Villacoublay (France), the LTKolo from Münster (Germany) and the ATCC from Melsbroek (Belgium) will go to Eindhoven where they will join their Dutch colleagues from the AOCS NM who will have a little less to do... A pioneering team of around twenty officers has already taken up residence for nearly two years. Most staff will arrive between July 1 and the end of December.
The commandment will be assured first by a German general (2*) then, alternately, by a French general. In addition to air safety, legal advice, audit and general support functions, it will include two divisions: an operational (planning, tasking, current OPS, analysis & reporting, aero medical and evacuation control centre) and functional (employment, training & exercises, logistics, fleet management).
More than 170 devices will be used by the EATC: from long-range aircraft (Airbus A320, A330) to tactical aircraft (Transall, C130 Hercules) via tankers (A310 MRTT) or smaller aircraft. But not the helicopters. There will thus be, under the command of the EATC, 13 long-range transport aircraft and more than 120 tactical transport aircraft. That is more than half of the national fleet. In all EATC will have approximately 70.000 flight hours per year. But there will be no transfer of sovereignty, each plane will keep its flag and its national maintenance log. It will remain attached to its air base.
When the Airbus A400M will arrive ..., it will not only be made available of the EATC. But there will be a more integrated structure, the EATF possibly including crews and maintenance. As one German officer put it, " an international crew could fly on this type of aircraft, a French commander, a German co-pilot and a Belgian load manager "...
Little flashback
In 2001, on a Franco-German initiative, a European Air Coordination Cell (EACC) was set up to coordinate the military movements of EU Member States. Renamed EAC - European Airlift Center - in July 2004, it is based on the Eindhoven military base and brings together seven countries (Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom as well as Norway, which is not a member of the EU). This center includes 26 officers including 5 French (according to the Ministry of Defence).
In April 2006, the French and German General Staff decided to go further and develop a new concept. They sign a letter of intent (LOL) establishing a common command to regulate air transport. The EATC was born. It was endorsed at the political level by the Franco-German Council of Ministers of October 12, 2006. In 2007, the Netherlands and Belgium - which also face cuts in their defense budget - joined the initiative. Luxembourg signs a memorandum of understanding in 2009. The concept of the EATC was signed on May 11, 2007 in Brussels on the sidelines of the EU military committee. And the four Chiefs of Staff initial in the last quarter of 2009, the common declaration of establishment.
NB: thanks to the officers of different nationalities who helped me to understand the importance of this device.
