RAMSTEIN, Germany - A delegation from the Japanese Air Self Defence Force visited NATO’s Deployable Air Command and Control Centre (DACCC), Poggio Renatico, Italy, from Mar 19 to 22 to learn about NATO Air Command and Control (C2) systems and to exchange information with NATO Air C2 experts.
NATO HQ, after receiving a request to host two Japanese Air Force Officers from their JASF Air Defence Command, selected the DACCC, primarily as it is the only NATO unit already utilising the Air Command and Control System (ACCS) in both its deployable and fixed formats, as a planning and controlling tool.
In addition to a systems overview of the ACCS and the Integrated C2 system the Japanese Officers were given an introduction to the DACCC mission; the foundations of how NATO conducts the command and control of Air operations and information on the NATO Communications and Information structure. Each day ended with a Question and Answer session to ensure that the delegation’s information requirements were met and, at the same time, to provide NATO personnel the opportunity to learn about the Japanese operational environment and operating procedures within the Air Defence domain. This information exchange continued at the weekly ‘DACCC All Brief’ where the Japanese delegation delivered a briefing on their Tactics, Techniques and Procedures.
Brigadier General Roberto Di Marco, Deputy Commander DACCC, highlighted the importance of building security through cooperation, "This is DACCC’s first visit ever from the Japanese Ministry of Defence and it has been a unique opportunity to provide and gather information, and to note the many similarities of Japanese and NATO Forces facing common challenges despite the geographical and cultural distance. I am sure this opportunity has been exploited to the maximum extent and I look forward to future cooperation with Partners from across the globe”.
Japan is a member of NATO’s Partners across the globe program which develops bilateral relations with countries which are not part of NATO’s other partnership frameworks. They include countries such as Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Mongolia. They develop cooperation with NATO in areas of mutual interest and some contribute actively to NATO operations, either militarily or in some other way.
Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office, based on information from Deployable Air command and Control Centre