On 22 June 2016, the NATO DARS* has returned to its parent unit, the Deployable Air
Command and Control Centre (DACCC), at Poggio Renatico in Northern Italy after
almost a month on the road.
With the final redeployment and re-establishment of the DARS, exercise RAMSTEIN
DUST I-16 has formally concluded. The deployment
exercise saw the DARS setting up operations at Cerklje ob Krki Air Base,
Slovenia, to provide command and control for Exercise ADRIATIC STRIKE 16,
Slovenia’s premier international Close Air Support exercise.
During the deployment, the DARS controlled over 90 close air support
missions involving aircraft and Forward Air Controllers from 17 NATO nations and Partnership for Peace members With this performance the DACCC continued to lay the foundation for it being a vital and
effective element in future VJTF operations.
"This exercise tested our ability to deploy approximately 100 people
operating 20 vehicles and a lot of cargo outside of Italy,” said Wing Commander
Barry Potts, the DARS’ Chief of Operations for the exercise. "The ability of the DARS to successfully
integrate with other agencies, in addition to being the critical command and
control node of ADRIATIC STRIKE, was essential to success of the operations
phase of the exercise. The safe
redeployment and re-establishment of our unit was the perfect finish for a job
well-done.”
* Deployable Air Control Centre, Recognised Air Picture Production
Centre, Sensor Fusion Post