UK Ministry of Defence,
John Reid challenged his EU colleagues today to improve strategic airlift capability across Europe.
Mr Reid has issued a discussion paper challenging individual Member States to be able to lift and sustain their rapid reaction forces by air themselves. This capability would then be available when operating under either NATO or the EU.
Mr Reid said that events such as the tsunami, the Pakistan earthquake and Darfur continue to highlight the long-term importance of Europe having sufficient strategic lift capability to enable us, both as nations and when working within international organisations, to respond to crises and disasters.
Mr Reid said that Europe has made some good progress in procuring more airlift capacity, for example the new multinational Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS), and agreement by a number of nations to procure A400M aircraft. But more needs to be done if we are going to have sufficient airlift capacity to contribute to security across the world with the speed and effect we desire.
Mr Reid said:
“The discussion paper I have tabled today outlines ideas how not only European nations, but also both NATO and the EU can work closely together to identify the options that will meet our needs for airlift.
“I am calling on my fellow ministers to commit to report on how we intend to provide this essential capability, so that we can satisfy our Heads of State and Government attending the European Council in December and the NATO summit at Riga in November that we are taking the necessary steps to meet the deployment challenge we have set ourselves.”
There are a number of different opportunities for meeting this challenge: national or collective procurement (such as the A400M); lease (such as the UK's C-17s); assured access arrangements (such as SALIS); charter enabling contracts; and use of the commercial spot charter market. No one solution will be suitable for every country. But groups of countries for whom a similar approach best meets their circumstances should work together to pursue ideas and benefit from greater efficiency in collaboration.
Background Information and Notes:
1. John Reid is attending informal meetings of EU Defence Ministers in Innsbruck, Austria, on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 March 2006.
2. John Reid attended informal meetings of Defence Ministers in Taormina, Italy, on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February 2006.
3. Austria took on Presidency of the EU in January 2006. The United Kingdom held the Presidency of the EU from July to December 2005.
4. The Strategic Airlift Interim Solution, known by its acronym SALIS, became operational earlier this year. It will provide short-notice assured access at a fixed cost for up to 4800 flying hours for 16 participating EU and NATO nations. The largest participants are Germany, France, UK and Canada. It uses a NATO agency as the contracting authority to guarantee access to up to six Antonov AN124-100 aircraft.
5. A number of EU and NATO nations (including the UK) are also members of Air- and Sealift Coordination Centres at Eindhoven, which assist nations in trading capacity, thus getting maximum use of their existing resources. Partners can notify each other when they have spare capacity, which others may then utilise. This is a reciprocal arrangement between nations and so does not require payments between them.
