NATO achieves first step on theatre ballistic missile defence capability

Defense Professionals ^ | 1/28/2011 | Defense Professionals

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

On 27 January 2011, NATO’s first ever theatre ballistic missile defence (TBMD) capability has been handed over to NATO’s military commanders. The handover took place at the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany, in the presence of NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, and civil and military authorities from NATO and host nation Germany. The NATO Combined Air Operations Centre demonstrated how this interim capability allows NATO commanders, for the first time ever, to do limited ballistic missile defence planning and exchange information with national ballistic missile defence assets.

“The handover of this interim capability marks an important step in NATO’s missile defence efforts,” said Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero. “In line with the NATO Lisbon Summit decision, this capability will be further expanded to form the cornerstone of a future missile defence system for the protection of territory and populations.”

“NATO commanders now have for the first time an initial, limited but integrated ability to manage a defence battle to protect deployed forces against ballistic missile attacks,” said Brigadier General Alessandro Pera, Head of the Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) Programme Office. During a short ceremony, he handed over the capability to Major General Mark F. Ramsay, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations & Intelligence, representing the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as the operational user of the capability.