The theme for this year’s conference was Future Air Dominance, fostering dialogue with academic institutions to promote an open exchange on the strategic relevance of Aerospace Power.
Today, we don’t have the luxury of 25 years - we must move much faster.
Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, Deputy Commander of NATO Allied Air Command, was a distinguished guest and panelist for the first session, titled “Strategic Level of Aerospace Power.” During the panel, Air Marshal Stringer underscored the pivotal role AIRCOM plays in maintaining 24/7 Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) for NATO nations and emphasized the increasingly critical relationship between the space domain and air power.
Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, Deputy Commander of NATO Allied Air Command, addresses an audience at the Aerospace Power Conference in Rome, Italy, The theme of this year's conference was one the future of air dominance. IAMD plays a pivotal role in the future of air operations and airpower (Photo courtesy of the Aeronautica Military)
He highlighted AIRCOM’s fundamental role in driving innovation by developing new technologies and capabilities through experimentation. Reflecting on NATO’s history, he noted:
“NATO realised in 1958 that, due to the rapid evolution of threats at the time, it needed a new approach to air defence in Europe. After two years of study, it spent the next 25 years implementing a series of enhancements. Today, we don’t have the luxury of 25 years - we must move much faster.”
Air Marshal Stringer stressed the importance of cutting-edge multi-domain defence systems and the need to develop 6th generation air warfare, not just 6th generation platforms. He reinforced that collective defence - fostering security and cooperation among member states – is at the heart of NATO. This includes providing a framework for joint defence, facilitating military collaboration, and promoting political dialogue on security issues.
Connectivity, interoperability, and cooperation are vital to leveraging technology, innovation, and sustainability within the aerospace sector to effectively project aerospace power in future conflicts. Freedom of manoeuvre and action in space is a decisive factor for both civilian and military operations, necessitating a more robust air defence to counter increasingly complex threats within the aerospace continuum.
The air domain is becoming ever more contested, with adversaries and peer competitors actively challenging NATO’s dominance. Continuous airspace monitoring is essential for effective NATO IAMD. The Alliance remains committed to ensuring that its IAMD capabilities are coherent, resilient, and adaptable to the evolving security landscape.
Air Marshal Stringer summarized NATO’s IAMD as a comprehensive, multi-domain approach:
“IAMD integrates nearly every aspect of air operations and airpower. It balances offensive and defensive capabilities, emphasizes the importance of command and control, and embodies the cross-domain, multi-domain approach.”
He further emphasized space as a cornerstone of NATO’s deterrence and defence posture. Space capabilities underpin NATO’s ability to navigate, track forces, maintain robust communications, detect missile launches, and ensure effective command and control. However, the rapid evolution of space technology brings both opportunities and risks. Space assets, while essential, are vulnerable to hacking, jamming, and other non-kinetic or even physical attack means. Anti-satellite weapons pose significant threats that could disrupt communications and degrade the Alliance’s operational effectiveness.
To address these challenges, NATO established the NATO Space Operation Centre (NSpOC) at Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany. The NSpOC acts as a central hub supporting NATO’s activities, operations, and missions in the space domain. It facilitates information sharing and coordinates efforts among Allies, working closely with national space agencies and organizations. By sharing data, products, and services across NATO’s command structure, the NSpOC ensures timely decision-making by commanders across all domains.