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The Warrior Preparation Center opened the European Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony Sept. 26 on Einsiedlerhof Air Station.
The EIAMDC addresses increased education and training requirements driven by a new approach to missile defense and the emerging NATO territorial ballistic missile defense mission.
NATO partners participated in the ribbon cutting, including U.S. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe commander, and U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, Allied Air Command Ramstein commander.
Stavridis and Breedlove shared the honor of cutting the ribbon to the state-of-the-art center.
Stavridis said he intends for the facility to support a robust missile defense system that provides coverage for the entire alliance. “What we see today represents the U.S. contribution to this critical mission, and we fully expect to grow it into a true coalition center with U.S. and European nation partners working side by side,” Breedlove said.
According to the EIAMDC charter, the vision of the center is to serve as the premier education, training, war game, experimentation and exercise capability in Europe. It will support the joint and allied integrated air and missile defense war fighter with an overarching goal of enhancing U.S., NATO and coalition IAMD capability and interoperability.
To effectively execute the IAMD mission, European senior leaders, staff officers and IAMD systems operators will participate in various academics, operational training sessions, war games, distributed exercises, and experimentations supported by live, virtual and constructive models and simulations.
“The initial operational capability declaration is meant to serve as the U.S. contribution to support development of interoperable U.S., NATO and allied air and missile defense capabilities,” said Alan Burke, U.S. Air Forces in Europe integrated air and missile defense division chief. “The desired end state is the establishment of a true coalition air and missile defense center made up of personnel from both USAFE and European nations.”
