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Team Airlift USAF photo by A1C Kenny Holston Eleven European air forces will pool their talents with the US to make the most of three C-17 transports. By Marcus Weisgerber rom the looks of things, this could be a military joint venture like no other. Eleven European nations— Fsome of them NATO members, others not—are teaming up with the US to create a new C-17-based strategic airlift fleet. In just a few weeks, the first of three C-17 airlifters will touch down at a new home in Hungary—Papa Air Base, roughly midway between Budapest and Vienna. The former Warsaw Pact fighter base will be home for the versatile cargo DOD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael B. Lavender haulers and hundreds of airmen from across Europe and the United States. It will be the permanent station for those who will fly the C-17s on cargo missions around the world. The multinational group will use the Boeing-made airlifters for missions ranging from troop transport, to equip- ment delivery and humanitarian relief operations. 38 AIR FORCE Magazine / June 2009 The memorandum of understanding agreed upon by all participants makes “it USAF photo difficult for any country to interfere with one another because each country can use the hours as they see fit,” Zazworsky said. “It’s not exactly a pay-as-you-go; it’s more of a front-end-loaded program.” The fact that the C-17s do not belong to an institution was “a signal,” said Swedish Col. Fredrik Heden, vice com- mander of the wing, in a March interview. “We can use that way of thinking [in the future by] reaching between” NATO and non-NATO countries. “It’s a great way of doing business,” Heden said. The entire effort, from letter of intent in 2006 to iron on the ramp this July, should take less than three years—very fast considering the number of nations involved. To put the rapid stand up of A C-17 photographed under assembly. Three of the airlifters will eventually be the wing in perspective, NATO has been based at Papa AB, Hungary. trying to field a new fleet of surveillance aircraft since a statement of intent was USAF is the main driver behind the Nations can use their flight hours to signed in 2002, but numerous nations program and is footing the bill for one support domestic missions or NATO have pulled out of that program and of the C-17s. tasks. For example, a country participat- there is still no time frame for when Other NATO members on the Stra- ing in combat operations in Iraq could operations will commence. tegic Airlift Capability (SAC) team use the aircraft to transport its soldiers This is not to say the C-17 initiative include Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, to and from the battlefield. This would has been flawless. The effort encoun- Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, likely not be possible if the aircraft were tered some turbulence when five of the Poland, Romania, and Slovenia. NATO part of a traditional NATO structure, original partners—Denmark, Latvia, has other multinational capabilities, such because any alliance member can veto Italy, Slovakia, and the Czech Repub- as its 16-nation E-3 AWACS program, any given mission. lic—dropped out of the program. The but what makes the Strategic Airlift loss of these nations and their financial Capability unique is the participation Flexibility Is Key contributions forced organizers to of Scandinavian nations Finland and “It’s a deliberate approach to try it forgo some infrastructure projects at Sweden—which are not NATO allies. a different way and to build flexibility Papa and eliminate the installation of The consortium is set up similar to into how we operate,” Zazworsky—a some advanced systems on the C-17s. business jet time-share programs. Each veteran C-141 and C-17 pilot—said of Despite the shrinkage of charter par- participating nation signs up to use the the arrangement. Not being attached to ticipants, commanders are convinced C-17s for a certain number of flying NATO is important so that participating more countries will join and current hours. The more hours purchased, the nations have the flexibility to do what members will increase their usage more personnel are assigned to the wing. they want with their hours. rates once the Globemasters prove The Swedes, in fact, have purchased Partners have purchased 3,165 hours their utility. 550 annual flying hours, the highest of flight time, said Air Force Brig. Gen. “This is a ‘build it and they will participation rate after the United States. Richard C. Johnston, chairman of the come,’ ” situation, US Air Forces in Unlike other aircraft-sharing part- Strategic Air Capability Steering Board, Europe Commander Gen. Roger A. nerships, the strategic airlift capability a multinational panel that oversees Brady told reporters in March. “I think allows participating nations to use the the aircraft acquisition and program people are going to fall in love with this C-17s for essentially anything they management, support, and operations. capability.” want—so long as USAF Col. John Johnston also serves as director of Each of the SAC consortium nations Zaz worsky, commander of the Strategic plans, programs, and analyses for US determines a single contact to communi- Airlift Capability’s Heavy Airlift Wing, Air Forces in Europe. cate directly with the wing’s command deems the mission safe for the crew “It’s our job to work with those coun- and control branch. The C2 branch then and aircraft. tries to make sure they get access to all develops the flying schedules and plans the hours that they’ve already bought,” the C-17 missions. It is Zazworsky’s job Opposite, top: C-17s and Europe are Zazworsky said. to make sure each country gets its fair joining forces. Pictured is a US Air This construct was especially impor- share of hours. Force C-17 as it readies for takeoff tant to Finland and Sweden. Stockholm During planning conferences over at Ramstein AB, Germany. Opposite, considered buying two of its own the past few years, many Heavy Airlift bottom: US Navy Seabees arrive in Afghanistan on a mission supporting C-17s, but defense officials instead Wing participants said they plan to use NATO International Security Assistance decided to join the multinational the C-17s to rotate troops and equipment Forces. consortium. in and out of Afghanistan. AIR FORCE Magazine / June 2009 39 USAF photo by MSgt. ScottWagers Airmen load humanitarian aid bound “To fly all the hours that we need making their way to Hungary, along for the Republic of Georgia into the to, we’re going to need to pretty much with their families, who will live in cargo bay of a C-17. Consortium mem- keep the planes busy every single Papa. bers will have the freedom to choose day,” Zazworsky said. “There’ll be “The really rewarding part is, all their own airlift missions. a lot of mutual pressure within peers the nations take this program very to not have the plane just going off seriously, and they’re sending high- and green markings across the rudder, for something that’s not a productive quality people ready to go to work,” and triangular roundels on the wings. airlift mission.” Zazworsky said. The wing is expected to receive its A nation could also use its C-17 hours Personnel are “spreading out into all full complement of three C-17 aircraft to support NATO Response Force com- parts of our headquarters building and by the end of October. mitments or the European Union battle in the final throes of establishing [an] Despite the current worldwide finan- group commitments. The participants infrastructure that you’d normally have cial crisis, the nations are still committed “get a lot of capability for a relatively in an office building that wasn’t there to the program. “I think if we get this small investment,” Zazworsky said. before,” Zazworsky said. thing up and running, it’ll send the right “Our goal is to use these planes very message to the nations that are participat- efficiently.” Updating an Air Base ing that their national treasure is being That being said, Johnston added that This month, the wing should pres- expended on something that’s going to participants “have the ability to say, ent Budapest’s Defense Ministry with really make a difference in their ability ‘I don’t want to participate in hours policies and procedures “so we can to move personnel and cargo where they or [with] personnel for a particular demonstrate to the Hungarians that need it,” Johnston said. mission.’ ” The ability to opt out is we’re ready to operate safely,” he Zazworsky first traveled to Papa in “extremely important, not only to the said. This involves “pulling together June 2008. Over the following few individual nations—it’s important [to] all the basic regulations and operating months, the colonel split his time be- NATO [and] the EU,” he said. policies any flying unit would have tween Ramstein Air Base in Germany If this were not the construct, “we’d to include” and the maintenance and and Papa before settling down full-time be quagmired in bureaucracy,” Johnston supply effort that “keeps the parts at the Hungarian base—along with said. Without the ability for missions to flowing.” Heden—last October. be executed without unanimous agree- The goal is to have the unit certified The Heavy Airlift Wing’s head- ment, “this whole program would fail,” about a month before the first C-17 is quarters building is an old modified he said.

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