The Quest for Relevant Air Power

170 │ GERMAN Air Force
for a European commander heading AFSOUTH in Naples. 117 In
this sense, the 2003 Defence Policy Guidelines restated that the
ESDP continued to be complementary with—and was not a supplant
for—NATO and the transatlantic partnership, a view that
was not compatible with France’s position. 118 The White Paper
2006 was even more explicit: “The transatlantic partnership remains
the bedrock of common security for Germany and Europe.
It is the backbone of the North Atlantic Alliance, which in turn is
the cornerstone of German security and defence policy.” 119 As
such, it implicitly tended to relegate the ESDP to operations requiring
joint civilian and military efforts, a position that is not
fully reconcilable with France’s position. 120
By reiterating essential aspects of the 1992 Defence Policy
Guidelines and the 1994 Defence White Book, the 2003 Defence
Policy Guidelines and White Paper 2006 gave German alliance
policy continuity. The former confirmed that, with the exception
of evacuation and rescue missions, Germany would only act
multinationally and that national defence policy remained determined
by European integration and the transatlantic partnership.
121 Three years later, White Paper 2006 stated that “Germany
is committed to active multilateralism. . . . Germany therefore
safeguards its security interests primarily in international and
supranational institutions.” 122
By deferring sovereignty to supranational institutions, Germany
has sought throughout the post–Cold War era to remain a
relevant international actor in defence policy and to obtain maximum
leverage.
Alliance Policy and Its Impact upon the German Air Force
In line with Germany’s alliance policy, the GAF has remained
closely integrated into supranational military structures throughout
the post–Cold War era. While it has always put a premium
upon integration into NATO and a close relationship with the
USAF, particularly in the field of training, the GAF also became a
main driver for integrating European air power. Hence, German
multilateralism on a strategic level has been carried right down to
the military operational level.
ESDP Context. The 2003 Defence Policy Guidelines stated that
assets reported to NATO and the EU would be available to both