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History of the NATO Air HQs at Ramstein Air Base

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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Allied Air Component Command HQ Ramstein - Public Affairs Office, Bldg. 313, 66877 Ramstein Air Base

Phone:  ++49 (0) 6371-40-2060, E-mail: pio@airramstein.nato.int, Webmaster