- Air Force
- International cooperation
European Air Transport Command (EATC)
On 25 February 2010, Belgium, Germany, France and The Netherlands gave the green light to the European Air Transport Command (EATC) at Eindhoven Air Base.
The aim of the EATC is to attain more efficient allocation and improved coordination of the air transport and tanker aircraft of the four participating nations.
The new command consists of a headquarters that is responsible for the coordination of all aspects of military air transport, such as planning and execution of missions, training, and flight safety. Until the inception of the EATC, the existing cooperation was focussed mainly on planning, but the newly established command has been given more powers and is authorized to determine how and where the aircraft will be made available.
The EATC started its operations on 1 September 2010, under the command of a German 2-star general. By year end 2010, the EATC, including its 160-strong establishment, is scheduled to be fully operational.
Apart from the founding four nations, the EATC initiative is open to participation from other nations as well. Spain has already taken a first step towards that goal by posting an active observer to the EATC and Luxembourg has signed a Letter of Intent.
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