NATO’s Aircraft to guard Papal funeral ceremonies

Background AWACS: NATO’s eyes in the sky

GEILENKIRCHEN, Germany— Aircraft and crews from the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force (NAEW&CF) E-3A Component will provide airspace surveillance support during the funeral ceremonies for Pope John Paul II.

At the request of the Italian government, NATO has agreed to provide security support to the Italian authorities by providing AWACS for additional coverage of this important event. The aerial surveillance missions will be flown from a Forward Operating Base in Italy.

NATO’s E-3A Component has increasingly been called upon to provide its characteristic airborne net of security at a wide variety of summits and special events, including the 2004 Olympics and last month’s Madrid International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security.

One AWACS operating at 30,000 feet can provide radar coverage out to a distance greater than 200 miles. Generating a clear picture of aircraft movements from high to low altitude, the E-3A adds an additional level of security.

The E-3A Component at Geilenkirchen is NATO’s only multinational flying unit, with international aircrews from 12 nations. It is a critical element of NATO’s military capability, providing immediately available early warning, command and control support to the entire range of NATO operations.