NATO Standing Multinational Units

[Bernard Woolley]

NATO Standing Multinational Units

[Bernard Woolley]

NATO multi-national aviation units.

NATO E-3A Component: NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, West Germany.
1st Squadron – E-3A
2nd Squadron – E-3A
3rd Squadron – 707 Training Cargo Aircraft

Note: The original multi-national aviation unit that would set the pattern for future units. Established with 18 Sentries and 3 707 TCA; two E-3s have since been lost and one TCA has been withdrawn from service and is now used as a source of spare parts for the remaining pair. The surviving E-3s have been upgraded to a similar standard to USAF aircraft and NATO is being kept informed of American plans to replace the ageing Sentry fleet. NATO’s Sentries routinely deploy to Forward Operating Bases in Norway, Greece Italy, and Turkey.


Heavy Airlift Wing: RAF Brize Norton, UK.
Heavy Airlift Squadron – C-17A Globemaster III

Note: The HAW was established in 1999 as part of a drive by NATO to better facilitate the movement of rapid deployment units to the periphery of the Alliance. When stood-up the unit had three C-17s, a fourth aircraft was added in 2004 and there are plans to acquire at least one more. As RAF Brize Norton was already home to the C-17 equipped 99 Squadron it made sense from a logistical point of view to base the HAW there. As with the Sentry the UK is the only European NATO unit to currently operate the C-17. Long term plans for the HAW call for the formation of a second squadron equipped with the A-400M Atlas. However, this depends on the available finance.


NATO Tanker Force: Istres Air Base, France.
1st Squadron – KC-707
2nd Squadron – No aircraft currently assigned.

Note: Established in 2003 on an interim basis with four 707 tanker aircraft; while aircrew are NATO military, Omega Aerial Refuelling Services maintain the aircraft and provide support services. Long term plans call for the procurement of around a dozen modern tanker aircraft, with the A330 MRTT and the KC-767 the current favourites.


NATO Airborne Ground Surveillance Component: NATO Air Base Sigonella.
1st Squadron – A321 AGS
2nd Squadron – NATO AGS Global Hawk

Note: The newest NATO multi-national unit, only formed in January 2005, and is still in the process of standing up. Only two of the A321s, which are former airliners, have been delivered along with a single Global Hawk.


Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment: RAF Cottesmore, UK.
A Squadron (West German)
B Squadron (British)
C Squadron (Italian)
S (Standardisation) Squadron

Note: The TTTE was founded by the three nations that developed the Tornado to handle the basic training of aircrew; weapons training was handled on a national basis. The structure of the TTTE meant that a British trainee might find him or herself being taught by an Italian instructor in a German aircraft, or any combination of the above. RSAF and ROKAF aircrew have also passed through the TTTE in the past, although the South Koreans now prefer to do all of their training at home and with the Luftwaffe detachment at Holloman AFB.


Quadripartite Typhoon Training Establishment: RAF Wattisham, UK.
A Squadron (West German)
B Squadron (British)
C Squadron (Italian)
D Squadron (Spanish)
S (Standardisation) Squadron

Note: Based on the successful precedent of the TTTE the four nations which developed what became the Eurofighter Typhoon decided to set up a similar unit to handle basic training of pilots. Following on from its Tornado predecessor unit, a British location was chosen to ease language difficulties. All aircrew speaking English as a second language. As with the TTTE it is common to find QTTE aircraft playing host to a trainee and instructor from the other countries. In recent years Austrian, Greek, Turkish, and Saudi aircrew have gone through the QTTE.

[Bernard Woolley]

NATO Multi-National Land Formations


Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (Land) (‘Southern’ option exercised)

Multinational H.Q
- BRC II (SPN – 17x CVR(T) Scorpion)
- Platoon, B Co, 5/2 Air Defense Regt (US – Avenger)
- Luftlandefernmeldekompanie 9 (LLFmKp 9) (FRG)
- 249 Signal Squadron, Royal Signals (UK)
-- A Troop, 244 Signal Squadron, Royal Signals (UK)
- 84 Intelligence & Security Section (UK)
- Compagnie D ‘Compagnie Allied Command Europe Mobile Force’ (LUX)

Force Military Police Unit (multinational)

Combat Service and Support Battalion (multinational)

H.Q Force Artillery (UK)
- 5 Gibraltar Field Battery, 94 Locating Regt, RA (UK – L118)
- 2./Batterie, Raketenartilleriebattaillon 122 (FRG – HIMARS)
- Artillery Battery (TU – M101)
- 1 Battery, 1 Mountain Artillery Group (SPN – L118)
- 40 Bty, 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment (IT – OTO Model 56)
- F Battery, 2 RCHA (CAN – LG1 Mk.II)
- C Battery, 4-319th Field Artillery Regiment (Airborne) (US – M119)

Engineer Unit
- 3./Kompanie ABC – Abwehrbattalion 7 (FRG)
- Engineer Company (TU)
- A Co, 16 Engineer Battalion (US)

Joint Force Helicopter Unit
- 4x Merlin HC.3, 33 Squadron, RAF (UK)
- Heeresfliegerstaffel 9 (12x UH-1D)
- 6th Aviation Detachment (3x UH-60M)

Medical Unit
- 101st Field Hospital (IT)

Infantry Units
- 3de Batailjon Parachutisten (BE)
- Fallschirmjagerbataillon 263 (FRG)
- 3 Bandera ‘Ortiz de Zarate’ BRIPAC (SPN)
- 3-325th Parachute Infantry Regiment (US)

[Bernard Woolley]

Naval Units.
[NOTE 1]

Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT)
HMS Mars (C26) (F)
USS Spruance (DD-963)
MN Dupleix (D641)
BNS Westdiep (F911)
HDMS Absalon (F341)
HMCS Toronto (FFH 333)
FGS Schleswig-Holstein (F216)
RFA Wave Governor (A392)


Standing Naval Force Channel (STANAVFORCHAN)
BNS Godetia (A802) (F)
BNS Artevelde (M926)
HMS Middleton (M34)
HMS Walney (M104)
Hr.Ms. Schiedam (M860)
MN Cassiopée (M642)
FGS Bad Bevensen (M1063)


Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (STANAVFORMED)


Standing Mine Countermeasures Force Mediterranean (MCMFORMED)

*

1) As of April 2005.

[Jotun]

(West) Germany was a constant contributor to STANAVFORLANT as well as STANVFORMED. So I'd suggest a 122 or 123 frigate each.

There is also MCMFORNORTH, keeping the Lofoten Bastion swept clean.

[Bernard Woolley]

(West) Germany was a constant contributor to STANAVFORLANT as well as STANVFORMED. So I'd suggest a 122 or 123 frigate each.

Have added FGS Schleswig-Holstein (F216) to STANAVFORLANT.

There is also MCMFORNORTH, keeping the Lofoten Bastion swept clean.

Did a bit of digging and what I can find is that MCMFORNORTH was what STANAVFORCHAN had its name changed to in 2001, before it became SNMCMG1. This fact-file is only intended to include NATO standing units that existed in peacetime, so the war activated MCMFORNORTH is not included. As it's essentially what the RN's 1st MCM Squadron becomes when it deploys to Norwegian waters.

[Jotun]

Re MCMFORWHATNOT, yeah. Now that you say it…I stand corrected.

[Bernard Woolley]

No, I should have made it clearer that it was standing units I meant.

[Jotun]

Question: Raketenartilleriebataillon 122 is an MLRS unit, belonging to 12th Panzerdivision.
Is the battery personnel detached from its parent unit and equipped with "extra" HIMARS?
If not, 9th Artillery Regiment could stand up a single active Lufttlanderaketenartillerie battery or maybe even a partly active battalion (one active battery for AMF, two inactive "equipment“ units.

[Belushi TD]

No, I should have made it clearer that it was standing units I meant.

Don't you mean FLOATING units? We are, after all, talking about Naval formations.

*grin*

Belushi TD

[Eaglenine2]

Question wasn't the Canadian Artillery battery supposed to be with the Canadian Norway Battlegroup?

[Bernard Woolley]

A Canadian artillery battery was part of the AMF(L) South Option in @.

[Eaglenine2]

Louie's AMF (L) pdf says that the Canadian artillery battery was northern option only? The only batteries that serves are both North and south option were 5 (Gibraltar 1779-83)Fd Bty RA, Fd Arty Bty, Para-Commando Regt, Luftlandeartilleriebatterie 9 and 40 Alpini Bty.
https://groups.io/g/TOandEs/topic/allie ... 0,82622334

[Jotun]

Regarding 5./Raketenartilleriebataillon 122, this is something from @'s post-Cold War era, the unit was a replacement after Luftlandeartieriebatterie 9 (AMF) - formed from 5./Feldartilleriebataillon 545 which was a tube artillery unit - was dissolved in 1996.

My solution would be for the HIMARS unit (Luftlanderaketenartilleriebataillon 9…aren‘t German compound words awesome? ) to be formed from the cadred Luftlandeartillerieregiment 9‘s materiel and the personnel of one of the three airborne brigades' artillery units. The respective battery could be filled with reservists.