B2 The Daily of Geopolitical Europe. News. Files. Reflections. Reports

News BlogAviationMilitary cooperation (projects)

EATC reaches full operational capability

General Valentin (credit: EATC)
General Valentin (credit: EATC)

(BRUSSELS2) All the air chiefs gathered last Thursday (November 28) at Eindhoven military airport to celebrate the "full operational capability" (*) of the European Air Transport Command (EATC). Originally bringing together 4 countries (France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands), 5 today (with Luxembourg) and soon 6 (with Spain), or even 7 (with Italy), EATC is without probably the most successful example of European-style "pooling and sharing". [Also read: EATC: a model to follow]

An intermediate step

« Considering the overall objectives of EATC, which is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the air-to-air refueling and airlift capabilities of participating nations, as well as the modular structure, this statement should rather be seen as an intermediate step for future development of EATC declared General Claude Van de Voorde, head of MATraC (the military transport committee) which presides over the destiny of this atypical structure.

On the balance sheet

In 2012, EATC carried out 7682 missions, a relatively stable figure compared to the previous year. But a productivity gain of 15%. Indeed, it only had 15% less aircraft available (unavailable or withdrawn from service). 345.000 passengers were transported (compared to 305.000 in 2011).

(NGV)

(*) Full operational capability or FOC according to the English name commonly used in aeronautics

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

s2Member®