European transport command opens for business

[maddog65]

So is this command different than the NATO C-17's out of PAPA AB?

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... iness.html

European transport command opens for business
By Joris van Boven

A new organisation tasked with co-ordinating the military transport and air-to-air refuelling activities of four European air forces has begun operating at Eindhoven air base in the Netherlands.

Inaugurated on 1 September by Dutch defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop, the European Air Transport Command (EATC) is a collaboration between Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Luxembourg and Spain have also signalled their intention to participate.

The EATC's main task will be to co-ordinate, plan and task the use of roughly 200 transport and tanker aircraft, with secondary responsibilities to cover training, standardisation and maintenance activities.

To replace planning centres in each of the participating nations, the command aims to optimise efficiency, for example by avoiding empty or duplicate flights while capacity is already available.

German air force Maj Gen Jochen Both is the first commander of the organisation, which will total between 150 and 200 staff from the partner nations.

The event attracted Dassault-Breguet C160 Transalls from the French and German air forces, Lockheed Martin C-130s from Belgium and the Netherlands and a flypast by an Airbus Military A400M.

[Firebird]

Yep, completely different. The aircraft at Papa are NATO assigned whereas the other command is a multi-national force made up of some European countries. It may seem similar but its not.

[VulcanDriver]

I wonder if that was meant when the Defence Minister said the RAF will share their A-400Ms?