DCOM AIRCOM, LtGen de Longvilliers, and SACEUR General Scaparrotti listening to the explanations of AIRCOM Ballistic Missile Defence expert LtCol Fred Sonnefeld as AIRCOM DCOS OPS, BGen Kevin Huyck (all from centre to right) and other staff stand by in the AIRCOM Ballistic Missile Defence Operations Centre. Photo by Cynthia Vernat HQ AIRCOM PAO

Jun 22, 2016

The 18th Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. Army General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, arrived for his first visit to Headquarters Allied Air Command (AIRCOM)  at Ramstein Air Base, Germany on 21 June. 

The AIRCOM Deputy Commander, French Lieutenant General Dominique de Longvilliers, welcomed General Scaparrotti, whose visit to AIRCOM provided an overview of the air component’s mission, people and organization. Briefings included updates on air command and control systems, NATO’s Ballistic Missile Defence programme, air ground surveillance systems, and the command’s 24/7 air policing mission. Discussions focused on the NATO Command Structure Joint Force Air Component that AIRCOM will stand up by default to provide command and control of Allied air forces in a NATO-led operation and on the central role of HQ AIRCOM for NATO's Ballistic Missile Defence command and control.

General Scaparrotti took command 4 May as the leader of NATO’s Allied Command Operations, based in Mons, Belgium; he is also the Commander of United States European Command headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. As SACEUR, General Scaparrotti’s visit to AIRCOM is part of his initial tour of NATO military components and units across the Alliance since arriving at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).  For more information about SHAPE, visit their website.