NATO MUltimedia

On September 12, 2018, over 20 international journalists experienced first-hand how NATO helps to keep Allied airspace safe by conducting Air Policing, a peacetime 24/7 collective defence mission. A Belgian Air Force A-321 airplane flew from Melsbroek Air Base near Brussels, Belgium to the Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejon, Spain and back. During the flight, several Allied fighter aircraft simulated intercepts of the airliner.

On September 12, 2018, over 20 international journalists experienced first-hand how NATO helps to keep Allied airspace safe by conducting Air Policing, a peacetime 24/7 collective defence mission. A Belgian Air Force A-321 airplane flew from Melsbroek Air Base near Brussels, Belgium to the Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejon, Spain and back. During the flight, several Allied fighter aircraft simulated intercepts of the airliner.
Footage includes in-air footage of simulated intercepts, video from inside the Combined Air Operations Centre, as well as an interview with Lieutenant General Ruben C. Garcia Servert, Commander of the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejon, Spain.
You can find out more about NATO Air Policing here:
https://ac.nato.int/page5931922/-nato-air-policing

1. (00:00 - 00:13) Various shots of air traffic on Brussels Airport’s flight lane, Belgium.
2. (00:13 - 00:27) Various shots of German Air Force Eurofighter practicing Air Interception in the European skies.
3. (00:28 - 00:49) Various shots of Czech Republic Air Force JAS-39 Gripen practicing Air Interception in the European skies.
4. (00:49 - 01:11) Various shots of Slovakian Air Force MiG-29 practicing Air Interception in the European skies.
5. (01:11 - 01:16) Various shots of Hungarian Air Force JAS-39 Gripen practicing Air Interception in the European skies.
6. (01:16 - 01:30) Various shots of a Belgium Air Force A-321 crew operating in the cockpit.
7. (01:31 - 01:48) Various shots of Italian Air Force Typhoon practicing Air Interception in the European skies.
8. (01:48 - 02:13) Various shots of Spanish Air Force F-18 practicing Air Interception in the European skies.
9. (02:14 - 02:37) Various shots of air controllers operating at the Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejon, Spain.
10. (02:37 - 02:47) Various shots of French Air Force Rafale practicing Air Interception in the European skies.
11. (02:47 – 03:08) Various shots of French Air Force Mirage 2000 practicing Air Interception in the European skies.
12. (03:08 - 04:38) Various shots of a Belgium Air Force A-321 crew operating in the cockpit, including landing at Brussels Airport.
13. (04:38 – 07:06) SOUNDBITE (English) Lieutenant General Ruben C. Garcia Servert, Commander of the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejon, Spain:

“Today at the speed of the aircraft a nation by itself is un-defendable so we have to bring together the capabilities and do it in an integrated mode.”
“That (NATO Air Policing) is a standing mission that we perform under NATO umbrella, NATO chain of command 24/7, 365 days a year.”
“Imagine that we are today in an aircraft that is losing communications with the civilian controllers, or deviating from the route. Civilian controllers will be aware that something is not correct according to the regulations, and then will introduce the incident through the military command of that country, and then the incident will come to our CAOC (Combined Air Operations Centre). Then we analyse the parameters of the flight, point of departure, company. And if necessary we will launch an alert aircraft that will come to the aircraft, confirm identification first, and second, will try to bring the incident to normal – trying to make the civilian (plane) into contact with civilian controller, go back to the root. If we achieve that, then everything is successful – back to normal. If not, we might start to think that the incident might be a hijacked aircraft with hostile intent, if that is the case, we enter in what we call a ‘renegade’ incident and the NATO transfers the incident to the nation of overflight and the fighter under the national command. Because NATO from that point when we have assessed that the aircraft is hijacked with hostile intent, NATO (command) disappears from the scene and national chain of command takes over.”
“We are here to safeguard the airspace of the countries of the Alliance, The set up is not directed against any particular country, it is meant to protect, to safeguard, to make a secure European sky. And that is the mission, where nations commit budget, people on duty working 24 hours and the fact is that airspace of Europe is basically secure under the NATO hat.”