04 March 2003
NATO AWACS Planes Continue Monitoring Turkish Airspace
(Planes first deployed to Turkey on February 26) (510)
Two NATO E-3A AWACS planes, deployed from Geilenkirchen, Germany on
February 26, continue to fly daily missions from their forward
operating base in Konya, Turkey, providing air surveillance over
Turkish airspace and early warning for defensive purposes.
NATO's deployment to Turkey followed the Turkish government's decision
to invoke Article 4 of the NATO's founding treaty. Article 4 states
that Allies will consult together "whenever, in the opinion of any of
them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of
any NATO country is threatened."
Following is the text of the NATO press release:
(begin text)
NATO Press Release
3 March 2003
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE)
E-3A AWACS DEPLOYMENT
SHAPE Headquarters, Casteau - Two NATO E-3A AWACS and crews continue
to fly daily missions from their forward operating base in Konya,
Turkey, providing air surveillance over Turkish airspace and early
warning for defensive purposes. The AWACS deployed from their home
base in Geilenkirchen, Germany on 26 February 2003.
The deployment to Turkey of NATO assets is part of allied defensive
assistance that follows the Turkish government decision to invoke
Article 4 of the NATO's founding treaty. Article 4 states that Allies
will consult together "whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the
territorial integrity, political independence or security of any NATO
country is threatened."
The E-3A is a Boeing 707 airframe with a speed of 800km per hour or
500 mph. At cruising altitude of 9,150 metres or 30,000 feet, an AWACS
has a wide range of coverage of over 312,000 square km. Operating well
within Western airspace, the crews can provide early warning about
low-flying intruders into the NATO area as well as high altitude
coverage extending deep into the territory of a potential aggressor.
The E-3A Component is one of two operational elements that make up the
NATO Airborne Early Warning Force (NAEWF). Seventeen E-3A aircraft and
three trainer cargo aircraft (TCA) are assigned to the Component.
Normally, only a portion of the E-3A fleet is located at their home
base in Geilenkirchen, Germany adjacent to the Dutch border. At any
given time, the remainder are deployed to the Component's forward
operating bases in Aktion, Greece, Trapani, Italy, and Konya, Turkey,
and to its forward operating location at Orland, Norway, or other
allied airfields.
NATO AEW Force Command is co-located with Supreme Headquarters Allied
Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium. While NATO AEW supports the
two major NATO commands, Allied Command Atlantic and Allied Command
Europe, SHAPE exercises administrative control over the force.
Integrated international specialists from 12 nations crew the NATO
E-3A squadrons: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, The
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the United States.
The second operational element, the Airborne Early Warning Squadron
Number 8 of the British Royal Air Force, with seven Boeing E-3D
aircraft is home-based at Waddington in Lincolnshire, UK and is crewed
only by RAF personnel, U.K.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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