Starting on 30 May, a deployment exercise – Ramstein Dust
I-16 – will take NATO’s deployable air command and control capability, the DARS[1], to Slovenia.
Approximately 100 women and men from the Deployable Air Command and Control
Centre (DACCC) at Poggio Renatico in Northern Italy will load their equipment
on more than 20 military and commercial vehicles and deploy to the air base of Cerklje
east of the Slovenian Capital of Ljubljana.
"The Ramstein Dust exercise concept tests our ability to deploy and
operate outside our garrison,” said German Air Force Colonel Klaus Nolte, the
DARS director. "As the convoy arrives in Cerklje, the team connects to available
radar, radio, and tactical data links – some organic and some shared with other
NATO nations. During the exercise, the DARS is going to conduct live and
simulated air operations allowing my team to practice critical tasks and AirC2 functions
as well as gathering experience in deploying and operating NATO’s single
deployable ACCS system – the DARS.”
The DARS deployment is embedded in the Slovenian-hosted international
Forward Air Controller (FAC) exercise Adriatic Strike 16. DARS personnel will
control multinational aircraft flying in this exercise during their tactical
missions in providing Air Power Contribution to Land Operation and closely
working together with army and air force tactical headquarters. This construct
underlines NATO’s capability to generate synergies from mutually supporting
exercises increasing realistic training and hone air-land-integration skills.
From 12 June on, the DARS team will start to disassemble their set-up,
redeploy to the garrison at Poggio Renatico and build-up their systems for
routine operations. The last cargo is scheduled to arrive in garrison on 22
June.
For additional information about Adriatic Strike 16, please check here
[1]
Deployable Air Control Centre, Recognized Air Picture Production Centre,
Sensor Fusion Post