NATO to boost deployment of defensive planes in Turkey

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Tuesday 29 Dec 2015 - 12:42 Makkah mean time-18-3-1437 Berlin, (IINA) - German officials said on Monday that NATO will soon deploy Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance planes in Turkey to boost the country’s air defense, Anadolu Agency reported. Germany’s Defense Ministry deputy spokesman Boris Nannt said that several AWACS planes stationed at the NATO Air Base in Geilenkirchen, in western Germany, will be sent to Konya Air Base in the coming days, as part of NATO’s recently agreed package of additional aid for Turkey. “This will be an absolutely defensive measure”, Nannt said at a press conference in Berlin, adding that the planning within NATO concerning the timeframe and the number of aircrafts to be deployed in Turkey was still ongoing. He said that German soldiers who are stationed in Geilenkirchen will also take part in the mission. Germany currently provides 30 percent of the personnel of NATO’s AWACS force and has around 300 soldiers at the Geilenkirchen base. Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said that German government has informed the parliament about the details of the planned mission, adding that there would be no need for a parliamentary motion, as the deployment will be under NATO requirements, and will also be defensive in nature. AWAC is a special military aircraft equipped with long-range radar capable of detecting air and surface contacts. NATO allies have decided on December 18 to provide Turkey with increased air defense, given the volatile situation in Syria, and tensions after the downing of a Russian warplane on November 24. The NATO package offering Turkey additional support includes enhanced air policing and increased naval presence, including port calls, exercises, and maritime patrol aircraft, in the Eastern Mediterranean. While NATO has increased air defenses for Turkey for many years, the downing of the Russian warplane that violated Turkish airspace has fueled NATO support. Russian warplanes had previously violated Turkish airspace twice in October. The incidents came within a few days of the start of Russia’s air campaign in Syria on September 30 and led to international condemnation. AG/IINA