The certification campaign was coordinated by the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Programme Management Agency (NAPMA), the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force (NAEW&CF) Headquarters, and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). Support also came from the Royal Netherlands Air Force Flight Test Centre, the Multinational MRTT Unit (MMU), the European Air Transport Command (EATC), and the Air Refueling Certification Agency (ARCA).
NSPA played a central role in the milestone, delivering technical expertise, logistics support, and certification coordination. It enabled cooperation across NATO entities and industry partners to confirm the technical compatibility of the two aircraft platforms.
This compatibility allows for extended aerial operations and longer mission durations for AWACS surveillance capabilities. The result is a stronger capacity to project airpower and sustain operations throughout the Alliance’s operational areas.
NSPA General Manager Stacy Cummings stated, “This success demonstrates the value of multinational cooperation and the strength of NATO’s integrated approach to capability delivery.” She added, “NSPA is proud to contribute its expertise in program management, certification, and sustainment to help ensure NATO’s high-readiness forces remain fully capable of meeting emerging challenges.”
The certification underscores NATO’s commitment to interoperability, innovation, and collective defence. Cummings concluded, “The Airworthiness Certification is another example of NSPA’s efficient, effective and responsive role in supporting NATO capability development and modernization.”
Source: NSPA.
