Signature of the agreement for EATF, the 'Star Alliance' of military transport
(BRUSSELS2) The Ministers of Defense will initial, on Monday, the administrative arrangement for participation in the "European Air Transport Fleet" programme. This agreement will allow the operational start of the program decided in 2008 (*) by allowing in particular the necessary exchanges of information.
Despite its name, EATF is anything but a fleet. " We are closer to an agreement as there are several in the civilian sector, between airlines, such as Star Alliance or Skyteam. Everyone remains master at home. But we seek to optimize existing capacities by developing cooperation commented Claude-France Arnould, Director of the European Defense Agency.
This alliance allows Member States to operate à la carte, enabling them to work together. This may involve training, aircraft maintenance, loading cargo, exchanging or sharing flight hours, or even joint acquisition. Or even quite simply to promote harmonization of legislation between European countries.
Initially, the idea of EATF was centered on the A400M (**). But both the delay in its arrival and the interest of other countries that are not customers of European aircraft have led to the Alliance being extended to other types of aircraft, mainly the C130 Hercules or Casa C295s.
First job... hover permissions
In the meantime, the first work on which the agency will look could be to harmonize overflight authorizations (clearance) for military aircraft on European territory. The negotiations should make it possible to remove this formality for at least all routine flights or flights which do not cause difficulties between Member States but oblige the diplomats of each of the States concerned to request an overflight authorization from the others. The discussion will start now. It will have to consider a whole series of questions. And certain exceptions could remain, such as the overflight of a country of an armed military plane for a theater of combat. Readers of this blog already know that within EATC, this problem has, in part, been resolved between the 4 participating countries (Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium).
Other short-term projects: setting up a secure website for air transport or a web-based accounting system for Atares (the exchange system).
First exercise in June 2012... in Spain
A first “EATF Flying event” exercise should take place in Spain in June 2012 to increase interoperability between EATF crews and adopt common procedures. It should allow the creation of a European course for tactical flights in the same way as it exists in the United States, and in the same spirit as that already organized within the framework of the TLP program (Tactical Leadership Programme) in Albacete. in Spain.
Horizon 2020: a networked fleet... perhaps
In the medium term (2015), the harmonization of rules and standards, the harmonization of training, the common use of logistical support services are envisaged. In the longer term (2020), the use of a networked fleet, multinational transport units or the joint acquisition of transport aircraft will be addressed.
- (Exclusive file) A titanic task for EATC: harmonization
- Claude-France Arnould: “A flexible research lab with unsuspected possibilities”
- Germans and Swedes take the initiative
- Priorities of the CS presidency: cooperation with NATO
