Headquarters Allied Air Forces
Central Europe (AAFCE) was established on June 28, 1974 at Ramstein Air Base, as
a principal subordinate command under Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT). Its
task was to provide central direction and control for the air forces in the
European Central Region through the co-ordination of the two existing
headquarters, Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2ATAF), based at Rheindahlen,
which covered the northern part of the region, and Fourth Allied Tactical Air
Force (4ATAF), based at Heidelberg, which was responsible for the southern area.
During the early 1990s, following
the relaxation of the tensions between East and West, a major reorganisation of
the NATO command and control structure was planned. As part of this, and to take
account of the decrease in the number of allied aircraft in Europe, a
rationalisation of the Central Region air force headquarters occurred during
1993 with the closing of 2ATAF and 4ATAF and the expansion of AAFCE to meet the
new increased task as it absorbed functions previously undertaken by the ATAFs.
This change in structure was marked by a ceremony at Ramstein on 1 July 1993,
when the headquarters was officially formed and renamed AIRCENT.
A further consequence of the NATO
reorganisation was an increase in the area of responsibility for Allied Forces
Central Europe by the addition, on 1 January 1994, of Denmark and the northern
parts of Germany, both of which were previously under AFNORTH command. As a
result, Denmark joined the six nations, which staffed the headquarters since its
inception: Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the
United States.
With the accession of three new
members, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic in March 1999, Poland and the
Czech Republic became part of the Central Region and have since then contributed
to AIRCENT’s task and mission. On 01 September 99, HQ AIRCENT implemented the
future HQ AIRNORTH structure, including now personnel from Norway, Hungary,
Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy and Spain.
On 03 March 2000, HQ AIRNORTH was
set up by amalgamation of the former HQ AIRNORTHWEST (High Wycombe, UK) and HQ
AIRCENT, and by transfer of the air responsibilities of HQ BALTAP which became
JHQ NORTHEAST (Karup/DA), and HQ NORTH which became JHQ NORTH (Stavanger/NO).
With the accession of seven new
members (Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia) in
March 2004, the Baltic States Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as Slovakia
became a part of the Region North, On 1 July 2004, HQ AIRNORTH was renamed
Component Command-Air Headquarters Ramstein and a new internal HQ-structure was
implemented. Final decisions on personnel-contributing nations and
nations-to-posts are pending.
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