HQ AIRCOM exhibits Allied missile defence capabilities

French Air Force SAMP/T and US Army PATRIOT missile units were set up at Allied Air Command Ramstein on 27 April in static display in the margins of a US-led Air and Missile Defense exercise and NATO's Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) exercise Steadfast Alliance, which were held at HQ AIRCOM and other NATO entities and commands.

The US Army PATRIOT firing unit consisted of three vehicles carrying the engagement control, a radar and the actual launcher. The unit was provided by 10th Army Air and Missile Defence Command stationed at Baumholder some 40 km away from Ramstein. The French Air Force SAMP/T medium range firing unit deployed the same set-up of three trucks with the unit modules. It is based at the French Saint Dizier base near Nancy (more details can be found at). The firing units were deployed with a crew of 6-7 operators each.

While the long-range, all-altitude, all-weather PATRIOT air defence system relies on a static radar with a coverage of 120°, the medium range SAMP/T system exploits a rotary radar that allows tracking and engaging high-speed threats with a coverage of 360°. More details about the systems can be found at http://www.army-technology.com/projects/patriot/ or http://www.army-technology.com/projects/aster-30/.

Both units are possible national contributions to NATO's BMD efforts. BMD is a system of systems including national sensors and weapon systems connected to NATO's command and control system.

Allied Command Operations and HQ AIRCOM are at the front line of NATO BMD. HQ AIRCOM is bringing to bear new Air Command and Control systems to run all operational and tactical parts.

More to follow on NATO's exercise Steadfast Alliance which is focused on assessing the Alliance's entire BMD structure, including planning and decision-making processes at various levels.

Find more photos at the HQ AIRCOM Flickr account.