Oct 21 2021

NATO Committee sees Air Command and Control concept in practice

RAMSTEIN, Germany - On 20 October, the members of NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defence Policy Committee (IAMD PC) visited Allied Air Command, Ramstein, Germany, and the exercise Steadfast Jupiter to see how the NATO Command Structure Joint Force Air Component (JFAC) contributes to this major command post exercise.

Allied Air Command Deputy Commander, Lieutenant General Pascal Delerce, welcomed the 30-strong delegation from NATO Headquarters led by the Acting Chairman of NATO's IAMD PC, Major General Lutz Kohlhaus.

"Allied Air Command accomplishes an important task in support of exercise Steadfast Jupiter, as our multinational staff of experts operates a command and control centre, the JFAC, that plans and executes the delivery of Air and Space Power across the entire spectrum of joint operations," said Lieutenant General Delerce. "The focus is on training to apply the new Air Command and Control Concept of Operations (AirC2 CONOPS). We welcome this chance to present what we do to the senior committee members of the Alliance"

The focus is on training to apply the new AirC2 CONOPS. We welcome this chance to present what we do to the senior NATO committee

The visitors from the political level were briefed about Allied Air Command's missions in the field of Air Policing, Missile Defence and coordination of NATO Air and Space Forces. An introductory briefing to Exercise Steadfast Jupiter laid out the contribution Air and Space Power provides in the scenario of the Allied Command Europe-wide exercise aimed at proving the capability of Joint Force Command Brunssum to lead NATO's Response Force in 2022.

The members of the IAMD Policy Committee  at Allied Air Command: receiving mission update briefings, touring the NATO Space Centre and on the Steadfast Jupiter Ops Floor. Photos by Arnaud Chamberlin.

"My colleagues and I appreciated this opportunity to see how the policies and guidance we develop for the Alliance are put into practice," said Major General Kohlhaus. "From our perspective it is extremely valuable to receive this feedback and see first-hand how the AirC2 CONOPS s is working and enabling this exercise in a realistic and challenging scenario," he added.

It is good to see how the policies and guidance we develop for the Alliance are put into practice

The IAMD PC is the senior policy committee reporting to the North Atlantic Council on NATO IAMD and NATO AirC2. It is also the lead committee for all aspects related to Joint Air Power. The committee plays a key coordination role for NATO's AirC2 and provides overall policy guidance. It oversees the governance of key acquisition programmes related to Air C2. The committee is responsible for developing and updating NATO's IAMD policy and identifying the required IAMD capabilities. This policy work also considers the broader spectrum of Joint Air Power and includes IAMD related aspects of space and emerging and disruptive technologies, for example hypersonic vehicles.

Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office