On September 21, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer visited the Bundeswehr base in Kalkar/Uedem and officially opened the new “Air and Space Operations Centre”.
At the Air Operations Center, the Minister first found out about the mission and tasks of the various departments involved in establishing security in air and space. The Air Operations Center sees itself as the Air Force’s competence center for the planning and command of air and space operations. It brings together various specialist centers at the site – including the Air Force Operations Center with the National Situation and Command Center for Airspace Security, the Space Operations Center and the Air Force Air Intelligence Centre. A national command and control capability is essential for the deployment of air forces from basic operations to national defense/alliance defense. The Air Force is therefore merging the above-mentioned facilities into an Air and Space Operations Center (ASOC) as a central command post.
“We have an increasing connection between space, airspace and systems on the ground,” said the Minister. She cited means of communication as an example. The space infrastructure required for this, such as satellites, are vulnerable and can be damaged both accidentally and intentionally. “The question of security, which must be guaranteed, must also be considered in the dimension of space. We play a good role here and have good expertise in Germany. We contribute these capabilities to our NATO partners in particular. The two air force bases in Uedem and Kalkar are the competence center for us to be able to do this.” The Kalkar/Uedem site has undergone a major upgrade in recent years, including in terms of infrastructure. It now plays a prominent role within the structure of the German Air Force and NATO. Around 1,600 soldiers and civilian employees – 250 of whom are international personnel from 24 partner nations – are currently serving there. The Minister rounded off her visit with personal discussions with some of the local employees.
