Much talked about but rare in practice, EU defense cooperation is becoming a reality at a Dutch air base where French, German and Benelux personnel mount thousands of missions each year.“Small is beautiful” could be the motto for the European Air Transport Command, working at Eindhoven to offer a real joint capability to cash-strapped European Union states.
“The EATC is a unique military structure in Europe. It works on the principle of ‘car-sharing,’” said its commander, French Gen. Pascal Valentin.
The EATC was set up in 2010 at the initiative of the French and German military who had pushed the idea since 2000 to share air transport resources and help reduce costs.
Shortly afterward, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg — who already pool significant military resources — joined them.
The aim is to maximize the use of military transport resources at a time when tighter defense budgets put a premium on cost effectiveness.
For example, if a German plane is going to Afghanistan, EATC will ensure it has a full load both ways, be it a French cargo of equipment or Dutch soldiers.
“It is a bit like the tie-ups you see among commercial airlines,” such as Skyteam or Star Alliance, German Lt. Col. Ralf Gerard said.
Read more: EU Defense Cooperation Takes Flight at Joint Air Base | Defense News | defensenews.com
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