RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Matthew Whitaker, visited Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to engage with senior U.S. and NATO military leaders and gain a first-hand understanding of how integration and interoperability of U.S. and NATO ally air and space forces provides benefits for both the U.S. and NATO nations.
Scott Oudkirk, Deputy Chief of Mission to the U.S. Mission to NATO, and Scott Delius, Secretary of Defense Representative in Europe and Defense Advisor to U.S. NATO, joined Whitaker for the visit which included not only meetings and briefings, but also a demonstration of counter-small unmanned aerial systems.
“Seeing our air and space teams in action at Ramstein really drives home just how important NATO is to European and American security,” said Ambassador Whitaker. “We’re not doing this alone. Our allies are stepping up, sharing the load, and helping us stay ahead of threats in the air, in cyberspace, and beyond. When we train and innovate together, we keep our troops safer, and we keep the peace. This is good for NATO and good for the United States.”
During the visit, Ambassador Whitaker and his team met with senior U.S. Air Force and Space Force leaders, including Lt. Gen. Jason Hinds and Chief Master Sgt. Randy Kwiatkowski, U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa deputy commander and command chief; and Brig. Gen. Jacob Middleton, and Chief Master Sgt. Alex Birkle, U.S. Space Forces Europe – Space Forces Africa commanding general and command chief.
“The ability to project airpower, respond rapidly to crises globally and deter aggression starts with a robust, integrated foundation of air and space capabilities,” said Hinds. “We’re working aggressively with our allies to leverage each others’ strengths and capabilities, while also finding new ways to operate seamlessly.”
The U.S. Air Force and Space Force leaders highlighted how rapidly evolving efforts are advancing air domain awareness, integrated air and missile defense, and counter sUAS capabilities through innovation and lessons learned. The group received mission briefings and visited the 603rd Air Operations Center where they witnessed how air and space domain awareness enables early warning and operational command and control.
“This visit was a valuable opportunity to showcase SPACEFOREUR-AF’s critical role in deepening relationships with regional Allies and partners to build a stronger and more lethal Alliance,” said Brig. Gen. Jacob Middleton, U.S. Space Forces in Europe – Space Forces Africa Commanding General. “Our Allies understand how space capabilities are essential to regional deterrence and defense. They hear the call for burden sharing and are prioritizing building out their military space capability, which increases our readiness and improves regional security for all.”
USAFE-AFAFRICA Airmen highlighted how the command is working with allies to meet evolving threats with a demonstration of both sensor and effector equipment designed to counter sUAS at a nearby control center shared by the U.S., Germany and France.
Throughout the engagement, discussions focused on how NATO allies can leverage capabilities to bolster the alliance’s operational posture, while also identifying areas where allies can contribute by enhancing capacity in key mission sets.
In addition to discussions with U.S. forces, Whitaker and his team met with leaders at NATO Air Command to discuss shared contributions to security, NATO air policing, and the Combined Force Space Component Command.
“It was an honor to host Ambassador Whitaker and his team and show how U.S. air and space power in Europe contribute to deterrence and the collective defense of the Alliance,” said Hinds. “And should deterrence fail, what will be required to fight and win decisively.”