Military

Naval Computer and Telecommunications
Area Master Station Europe Central
NCTAMS EURCENT

The U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Europe Central (NCTAMS EURCENT) is one of three Area Master Stations in the world. NCTAMS EURCENT is one of the largest U.S. military commands in the Naples area, with over 438 military and civilian personnel assigned. NCTAMS EURCENT's mission is to provide command, control, communications, computers and telephone services for CINCUSNAVEUR, COMUSNAVCENT, COMSIXTHFLT, COMFIFTHFLT and numerous Joint and NATO commands in the Mediterranean, Southwest Asia and Indian Ocean areas. This regional command provides guidance and support to five subordinate commands: NAVCOMTELSTA Bahrain, NAVCOMTELSTA Sicily, and three detachments in London, Rota and Souda Bay.

On 1 January 1995, under a worldwide regionalization of communications assets, NAVCOMTELSTA London was realigned under the U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station (NCTAMS), Mediterranean, Naples, Italy. As a result of the downsizing of the Command, NAVCOMTELSTA London was disestablished in mid-1995, and U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Mediterranean, Detachment London (NCTAMS MED DET London UK) was established on 1 July 1995.

Originally on the AFSOUTH Base at Bagnoli, most command personnel and equipment are located in the state-of-the-art communications complex Bldg. 440, a unique C4I (Command, Control, Computers, Communications and Intelligence) facility located in Capodichino.

In early 1997 the facilities and equipment at Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Mediterranean (NCTAMS MED) were relocated to a new complex in Naples near Capodichino Airport. The Naval Reserve Advanced Base Functional Component (ABFC) communications community was on site at Allied Forces South Headquarters, Bagnoli, Italy, employing a state-of-the-art ABFC C3A communications van to serve as a 'NCTAMS in a Box' during the move. This three-month mission integrated over 90 Reserve officer and enlisted personnel from six different units into daily operations of the NCTAMS. Planning and coordination of the mission were carried out over several months by Naval Reserve units located in Cheltenham, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Naples, Italy; to ensure the flawless transition of communications responsibility from the shore facility to the ABFC van. Prior to this initial deployment, the ABFC C3A van underwent significant technical modifications. Reservists installed two additional radios to double the van's throughput capacity. The ABFC C3A van is maintained and operated completely by Reservists. Members of the entire ABFC Reserve community have expended countless hours of preparation to train van crews from all over the United States to meet this deployment schedule-and stand ready for other Navy missions.

In the Summer of 1997, Command Regional Headquarters' (NCTAMS MED), area of responsibility enlarged to include U.S. Navy telecommunications facilities in Bahrain and in Diego Garcia. On 1 October 1997, the region's name changed from Mediterranean to Europe Central, reflecting the wider area responsibility. Therefore, NCTAMS MED became NCTAMS EURCENT and NCTAMS MED DET London became NCTAMS EURCENT DET London.