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 —Papa Air Base, roughly midway between and Vienna. The former Warsaw Pact fighter base will be home for the versatile cargo DOD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Lavender B. haulers and hundreds of airmen from across Europe and the . 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 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 , Estonia, Hungary, to and from the battlefield. This would has been flawless. The effort encoun- Lithuania, the , , 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—, 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 and “It’s a deliberate approach to try it forgo some infrastructure projects at —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 Zaz­worsky, 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. During planning conferences over at Ramstein AB, . 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 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. scheduled to arrive. The certification dormitory. When Zazworsky, Heden, For the past few months, command- is necessary since each aircraft will be and their small staff first arrived at ers have been bringing new personnel registered under Hungary’s authority. the base, there was no computer net- into the wing and settling them into The Globemaster IIIs will have Hun- work, and mobile phones were the their new positions. Airmen from all garian markings, a blue strip across the main form of communication. The of the participating nations are slowly top of the vertical stabilizer, red, white, group sent work-related e-mails in 40 AIR FORCE Magazine / June 2009 the morning and evening from their Internet-equipped hotels. “It was really a fascinating, totally new challenge,” said Heden, a fighter pilot by trade, who most recently com- Photo by Greg DavisL. manded a JAS-39 Gripen training wing in Sweden. The airfield at Papa, its instrument approach systems, and a portion of the aircraft parking ramp were improved when Hungary joined NATO in 1999. Since then, the base has been a contin- gency field for alliance aircraft. The air traffic control and weather forecasting equipment are in good shape. Two Hungarian Air Force search and rescue —tasked with emergency-response missions in the western portion of the country—are This USAF C-17 came to Taszar, Hungary, for a mission supporting NATO forces. also stationed at the base. Some consortium members are expected to use the C-17s to transport troops and The Hungarians are working on a num- equipment to Afghanistan. ber of infrastructure improvements to roads and security, and are constructing to later become aircraft commanders “There are additional hours that are a new office building and gymnasium. and instructors. available to be purchased,” Johnston The SAC program is paying for ramp The initial crews are expected to said. “If nations wanted to join, we extensions, so all three C-17s can fit. graduate in June, shortly before the first would see them buying those remain- Several hardened aircraft shelters—left C-17 arrives at Papa. ing hours. If we go past 3,500 [hours], over from the airstrip’s previous life Zazworsky said his goal is for the first then we really need to start looking at as a fighter base—are being converted airplane to be flown to Hungary with a buying another airplane.” into storage areas for maintenance multinational crew. “It looks like we’re Securing purchasers for the 300-plus equipment and supplies. In all, about on track to do that.” annual hours that are still available 350 Hungarian military officials will The SAC countries have contracted would allow the consortium to build run the base. the flight line maintenance at Papa to that hangar and make other infrastruc- A hangar and new headquarters Boeing. In addition, a group of crew ture improvements. More money would building were part of the original chiefs from the United States and three also allow for add-on systems, such as program, but were deferred when na- other nations will perform maintenance Large Aircraft Infrared Countermea- tions dropped out of the consortium if an aircraft breaks down at a forward sures on the C-17s. last year. location. “I think really our operational ex- “For now,” Zazworsky said, “we’ll perience in the first year or two will be operating without a hangar.” More Nations To Join? drive the discussion of whether to Each participating nation will have Training missions will also be flown at procure another plane,” Zazworsky its own pilots, loadmasters, flying crew air bases in each participating nation, so said. The airfield at Papa, “with some chiefs, and security forces. USAF will that aerial port, crash, and fire personnel improvement, could handle a lot more train pilots at its C-17 schoolhouse at are familiar with the C-17. aircraft,” he noted. Altus AFB, Okla. Seven C-17 instructor Both US and European commanders Even though the first C-17 has not pilots and five loadmasters will form a believe the Heavy Airlift Wing could even arrived, other countries have training cadre. expand not only to include more C-17s, expressed interest in joining the SAC In February, two Swedish airmen but other types of airlifters, such as consortium, according to Johnston. began loadmaster training at Lackland the Lockheed Martin C-130J, Airbus “There are nations that have already AFB, Tex. In March, two Norwegian A400M, or the Alenia C-27J. started inquiring about the program pilots and two loadmasters began their “My main goal is to create a unit as active members or asking for air- training. that’s operationally effective right away, lift support,” he said. “Getting this The initial C-17 flight training but also flexible enough to expand,” program up and running in July ... program familiarizes pilots with the Zazworsky said. will clearly demonstrate we’ve got Globemaster’s computerized avionics The agreement allows the wing to add the capacity and the energy to make system, said Norwegian Maj. Christian different types of aircraft, and states: this a success.” Langfeldt, who is among the first at the “The objective is to establish a SAC Sweden’s Heden offered an even schoolhouse. program to acquire, manage, support, larger opportunity if the multinational The C-17 is “very automated, so that’s and operate C-17 aircraft and other assets cargo-hauling pact proves a success: a big difference,” said Langfeldt, who needed to meet national requirements of “If you asked me for a wish, I would has flown the P-3 Orion and NATO E-3 the participants.” say let’s ... do it with tankers.” n AWACS. After graduating, the new C-17 pilots Marcus Weisgerber is managing editor of the Washington, D.C.-based defense will receive additional training at Papa newsletter Inside the Air Force. This is his first article for Air Force Magazine. AIR FORCE Magazine / June 2009 41