New Challenges for the German Security Policy - IFSH

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Center for Verification of the German Armed Forces, Geilenkirchen April 25, 2006 During our visit at the Bundeswehr Verification Center, on Tuesday the 25th of April 2006, we had the opportunity to hear about the activity of the Verification Center, in general and about the main treaties and international conventions on arms control and non-proliferation. The Bundeswehr Verification Center is responsible for checking whether the States parties have met or not met their disarmament obligations comprised in 19 international treaties and conventions. The main treaties are divided into regional arms control treaties like the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE), the Vienna Document (1999) and the Open Skies Treaty, as well as treaties prohibiting certain arms like “Small Arms and Light Weapons” (SALW), the Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines, the UN Weapons Convention, as well as non proliferation treaties like the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Hague International Code of Conduct (HCoC), the upcoming Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) or the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Germany is leading about 400 inspections annually, accompanies further 700 and accepts some 500 inspections in its own territory. There is an unofficial agreement regarding the CFE, that NATO member states do not control themselves. The inspections focus on Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia. The procedure of the inspections conforms to the principle of declaration and verification. In the discussion the questions aimed at the efficiency of the different treaties and conventions. Some of the main treaties, like the CTBT or the adapted CFE had not yet entered into force as some important nuclear powers refuse to ratify it because of political (e.g. USA, India, Pakistan, Israel) or technical (e.g. Russia) reasons. Nevertheless, all international treaties and conventions regarding arms control and non-proliferation depend on the consensus of the participating states to respect the agreements entered into. Other questions regarded the fight against international terrorism and its consequences for the disarmament policy, which changed the mission of the Bundeswehr Verification Center. Its focus is now to ensure the non-proliferation of weapons and means of mass destruction, to extend the international arms control system and to stabilise confidence building between governments. Although several raised topics were still admittedly as problematic at the moment, such as the gigantic storage in conventional ammunition, defective storage and maintenance of ammunition in the case of security risks of organized crimes or terrorism, the new mandate is reflected in the overall concept of the Verification Center: “Verification is our mandate, confidencebuilding is our aim and cooperation is our way to achieve it”. Dr. Marcel Dickow, Teodora Aurora Vrancean, Zhixian Xu 8
NATO E-3A Component/AWACS, NATO Airbase Geilenkirchen April 25, 2006 On Tuesday the 25th of April 2006 the group visited the NATO Air Base in Geilenkirchen which is the E-3A Component´s main operating base. Other operating bases are located in Konya (Turkey), Preveza (Greece), Trapani (Italy) and Oerland (Norway). After a brief introduction to the site that is the place of work for around 3000 military and civilian personnel and after lunch in the officer´s club, a presentation made the group familiar with the origins, the organisation, the missions, tasks and operations of the Component as well as some technical aspects related to E-3A operational activities. The NATO E-3A aircraft – modified Boeing 707s – are flown by integrated multinational crews from 12 nations, 17 women and men per aircraft. E-3A`s mission is “to provide a fully integrated, interoperable, multinational and immediately available airborne surveillance warning and control capability in support of Alliance objectives.” NATO´s Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) plays a crucial role for the Alliance; whilst conducting a broad range of missions, its major task is air surveillance. AWACS´ special radar system is able to detect air traffic at low altitudes and over large distances. In the moment the fleet consists of 17 E-3A radar aircraft and three cargo planes. Originally, in 1978, NATO decided on the acquisition of 18 aircraft, one was destroyed by an accident meanwhile. E-3A`s budget for 2005 summed up to more than 250 Mio. Euro; main contributions come from the United States and Germany. AWACS supported for example operations in the Balkans in the 1990s as well as in Turkey following Iraq´s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. NATO AWACS support has also been requested for increasing security in the course of major public events like the Olympic games 2004 in Athens as well as the World Football championship to start in June 2006 in Germany. After the talk, the group watched a short documentary, “24 hours for Peace”, illustrating major tasks and activities of NATO E-3A. The film focused on the daily life of the personnel; it showed some manoeuvre scenes as well as the difficult process of air refueling. Finally all seminar participants had the chance of inspecting an E-3A aircraft from the inside. Experts guided small groups through the aircraft, gave technical information, explained the crew´s various positions and tasks and answered the groups´ questions. Zhixian Xu, Thomas Wagner 9
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