US Air Forces in Europe has steadily been ramping up its exercise schedule in light of Russia’s activity in the region. Exercises increased about 30 percent from 2015 to 2016 and the command expects to see another 30 percent increase in 2017, USAFE Commander Gen. Tod Wolters told reporters at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium last week. “One of the critical areas is command and control,” said Wolters. It’s important that the pictures operators see inside NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center Torrejon in Spain, which is responsible for the area south of the Alps; the CAOC Uedem in Germany, which is responsible for the area north of the Alps; and the US-run 603rd Air and Space Operations Center at Ramstein AB, Germany, “is as robust and common as possible,” said Wolters.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
