The Quest for Relevant Air Power

184 │ GERMAN Air Force
June 2004, the GAF was responsible for the running of Kabul
Inter national Airport. What originally was supposed to be a sixmonth
assignment ended as a 15-month assignment, as no other
nation was prepared to take on the succession. 209 As of 2010, GAF
C-160 Transalls were providing significant airlift support for the
ISAF, operating out of Mazar-i-Sharif. 210
In 2006 the German armed forces played a significant role in
Operation EUFOR in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After
Operation Artemis in 2003, EUFOR was the second autonomous
military operation of the European Union in Africa, which aimed
at providing security during the elections in conjunction with
other civilian crisis management cells of the EU. With a German
general in charge of the conduct of the operation and the Operations
Command in Potsdam serving as the operations headquarters,
the GAF and the German Army deployed airlift assets, including
heavy CH-53 helicopters and C-160 Transalls. 211
Air Policing and Subsidiary Tasks
Since 19 November 1990, with the reestablishment of full German
sovereignty, GAF fighter aircraft and tactical air control units
have been assigned with air policing, requiring constantly available
resources. To draw upon NATO’s C2 network and sensors, air
policing has been conducted in the framework of the alliance’s integrated
air defence. Engagement of hostile aerial vehicles, however,
requires consent from German authorities. 212 Prior to 11
September, air policing procedures were strictly confined to military
targets. In the immediate aftermath of the terror attacks, the
chief of the Air Staff intensified airspace surveillance and enhanced
the readiness status for air defence fighters. 213 In contrast
to military targets, the interception of civilian aircraft has to be
conducted solely with national assets and under national command.
214 Despite this restriction, German fighter aircraft can be
supported by NATO AWACS during major events such as the
2006 football world championship. 215 Though the new importance
of air policing was especially underlined by the 2003 Defence
Policy Guidelines, the potential downing of a civilian aircraft led to
intense disputes. 216 On 15 February 2006, the Federal Constitutional
Court issued a verdict stating that the downing of civilian