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History of NCIA Squadron Heidelberg and the

Heidelberg NATO Commands

Irfan A Iftekhar

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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization popularly known as NATO; is basically a military

alliance established on 4 April 1949 with Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. NATO constitutes

a system of collective defense in which its member states agree to mutual defense in case of any

attack by any external element. The various agencies that NATO consists are:

NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency

Central European Pipeline System

NATO Pipeline System

NATO Euro fighter and Tornado Management Agency

Air Defense & Air Traffic Control bodies which include:

NATO ACCS Management Agency based in Brussels.

NATO Programming Centre

NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Programme Management Organization

NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency

Command and Control Organization

The SHAPE Technical Center (which was merged with the NATO Communications and

Information Systems Operating and Support Agency (NACOSA) based in Brussels

(Belgium), forming the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency)

NATO Communications and Information Systems Agency

Alliance Ground Surveillance Capability Provisional Project Office (AGS/PPO)

Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System (BICES)

NATO Continuous Acquisition and Life Cycle Support Office (CALS)

NATO FORACS Office

Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center (MSIAC)

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NCIA Squadron Heidelberg

NATO has numerous agencies and organizations and the NATO Communication and

Information Systems Services Agency is one of them. A glorious in NATO's history began in

1970 with the formation of The NATO Communication and Information Systems Services

Agency (NCSA) which transformed into different NATO organizations. The creation of NATO

standardized the allied military procedures and technology. NATO Integrated Communications

Systems Central Operating Authority (NICS-COA) was the first ever communications and

information date delivering organization, established with a view to operate, maintain and

control NATO communication system. At the time of its inception the selected few elements of

these complex communications systems were as under:

1. Initial Voice 2.Switched Network (called the IVSN)

3. Telegraph Automated Relay Equipment (called the TARE)

4. Status Control Alerting and Reporting Network System (called the SCARS)

5. SATCOM systems and equipment

6. ACE High Tropospheric Scatter trunk communication Network.

Major revamping and reorganizing endeavors were carried out in the early 90's to update the

Communication and Information systems and support which was mainly due to the introduction

of new technology and systems.

As part of post-Cold War restructuring, NATO's military structure was cut back and reorganized,

with new forces such as the Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps

established. The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe agreed between NATO while

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in 1990 the Warsaw pact was signed in Paris. NACOSA thereafter also took command of 24

other subordinate elements which were:

1. Integrated System Support Centre

2. Allied Command Europe Communications Security

3. The NATO Communication and Information Systems School at Latina

4. Regional Signal Group.

NACOSA afterwards metamorphosed into an organization giving tactical support and the

communication and information systems on both sides of the Atlantic and for all NATO

Operational deployments was looked after and operated by it.

The famous Warsaw Pact came to a culmination in 1991 when the cold war ended and

strategically conceded with the historical fall of the Berlin Wall. In 1993 when the NATO

Communication and Information Systems Operating and Support Agency (NACOSA) was

formed and the job done by NICS-COA as well as some elements of the Information Systems

Division of the Allied Powers Europe, Supreme HQ (SHAPE CISD) was integrated unto it.

1. Integrated System Support Centre (called the ISSC)

2. Allied Command Europe Communications Security (called the ACE Comsec)

3. The NATO Communication and Information Systems School (NCISS) at Latina

4. Regional Signal Group.

NACOSA then developed into an organization working to give support and also operate the

communication and information systems on both sides of the Atlantic and for all NATO

Operational deployments. NATO Long Term Study, NACOSA was regrouped again with the

introduction of Partners of Peace and thus Regional Operating Centre Northwood (United

Kingdom) came under its direct control. In the December of 1997 The Charter for NACOSA was

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signed by the NATO Consultation Command and Control Board and it lived until 2003. Then

after a detailed study the under mentioned recommendations were endorsed by North Atlantic

Council.

NCSA reports directly to the North Atlantic Council and closely works with NATO

Consultation, Command and Control Agency the job of relates to the provision of scientific

support, common funded acquisition of Consultation, Command, Control, Communications,

Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities to the NATO Consultation, to which

even the Director of NCSA is accountable.

The Director is also accountable to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe for operational

support or deployment as well as CIS assets. Even today after six decades of its inception,

NATO is the key security structure in Europe. NATO is ultimately governed by its member

states. The North Atlantic Treaty outlines the rules of decision making within NATO.

Comprising of 28 members where each member sends a delegation to NATO’s headquarters in

Brussels, Belgium. The senior permanent member of each delegation is known as the Permanent

Representative he is usually a senior civil servant or an experienced ambassador.

The NATO Heidelberg Headquarters

When the famous North Atlantic Treaty was signed it allowed NATO to gain a consolidated

command structure along with a military Headquarters. On July 1, 2004, the Headquarters once

again transitioned in a ceremony marking its designation to Component Command – Land

Headquarters Heidelberg. The transformation was part of a major NATO restructuring and

incorporated a fundamental change to its mission and operations to assume the mission and roles

as one of only two land centric headquarters in the NATO Command Structure, designed to

provide expeditionary command and control at the operational level of conflict.

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NATO Headquarters again transitioned to the Land HQ Heidelberg. It was a form of major

NATO revamping and changes to its operational and mission control systems ad assume the

roles as one of only two land centric HQ in all of NATO's command structure. This was done

with a view to offer strategic command and control at all levels of conflict.

Under an agreement in 2006 it was required of NATO Command Structure to be in a position to

provide Command and Control at any time and any moment for multiple operations, thus NATO

redefined its so called Level of Ambition. For this purpose a modular “Deployable Joint Staff

Element” concept was developed by NATO.

This was the reason that CC-Land Headquarters Heidelberg was given the job to transform it into

an Allied Force Command Headquarters and keep two deployable Joint Staff Elements to

Brunssum, Naples and Lisbon' operational Headquarters. In 2008 this major transformation was

carried out by CC-Land HQ Heidelberg which transitioned it to a Deployable Joint Staff

Element.

Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidelberg formally came into existence on 1st of March,

2010 and in the month of November, 2010, member countries' Head of State and Government

gathered at Lisbon to ponder upon the future of NATO. They envisaged a Strategic Concept for

the next decade. This time an agile, capable and cost effective alliance. NATO's geographic

footprints were decided on 8th June, 2011 at Brussels, and Izmir in Turkey became the single

Land entity along with this on 1st April, 2013 came the deactivation of Allied Force Command

Heidelberg.

Central Army Group:

CENTAG had four national corps in the late 1970s - two German and two U.S.-which together

comprised the equivalent of 13-2/3 divisions. Because France no longer belongs to NATO's

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military alliance, it is not included in this discussion of alliance forces. In the event that French

troops did participate in a NATO war, however, they could be most easily deployed to

CENTAG. French forces are also stationed in the western portion of CENTAG, near the French-

German border.

During the 80’s ground forces of this group comprised of the Central Army Group, which

included 4 corps with 11 divisions; several independent brigades and 2 tank regiments. In its

armaments were included 48 Lance launchers, up to 5,000 tanks, about 3,500field artillery pieces

and mortars, more than 6,700 anti-tank weapons, and over 1,200 helicopters. CENTAG strength

exceeded 300,000 American, West German and Canadian officers and soldiers.

The ground forces would be supported by the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force, to which American,

West German and Canadian formations and units were assigned from their national air forces.

There were about 900 combat aircraft, 36 PERSHING 1A launchers and up to 150 surface-to-air

missile launchers in it. Air defense missile units from the American forces, concentrated in

CENTAG's area, were also operationally subordinate to this command.

Deactivation of the 4ATAF and CENTAG was completed on June 30th 1993 when 4ATAF

elements constituted the NATO component command Air Cent in Ramstein, Germany. The

Northern Army Group along with CENTAG amalgamated and formed Allied Land Forces

Central Europe (LANDCENT) on 1st July, 1993.

Headquarters Allied Land Forces Central Europe (LANDCENT)

It was activated on 1st of July, 1993 because of the "New Strategic Concept" adopted by the

Alliance in 1991 in the Rome summit. Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, U.K.

and U.S. and a French Military Mission constitute LANDCENT. LANDCENT has a

Commander who is usually a four-star General either from Germany or the U.S or Netherlands.

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The General is assisted by a German Brigadier who acts as the Assistant Chief of Staff

Operations, the Director of Support is a British Major, the responsibilities of Logistics and

manpower relies on him as well as Communications and Information Systems" Division. The

Controller of Finance administers the financial aspects of the HQ.

In cases of sudden deployment or on Peacekeeping missions an American Brigadier assists the

Chief of Staff in the capacity of Chief of Crisis Planning Staff. Other elements of liaison are

attained from:

Head Quarters Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP)

The French Forces (French Military Mission/FMM)

The host Nation, represented by "Heeresfuhrungskommando" (HFuKdo)

2nd (GE/U.S.) and 5th (U.S./GE) Corps.

Mission of LANDCENT:

1) Protection of peace and deterrence of aggression

2) Planning, preparations and operational guidance of allocated land forces

3) Planning, coordination, and provision of synchronized air and land operations i

4) To be ready to conduct peace support operations

In the Former Republic of Yugoslavia LANDCENT provided troops during 1993. For the

implementation Force LANDCENT served as the Headquarters for SFOR in Bosnia-

Herzegovina. In the year 1999 NATO acted in Kosovo by starting operational maneuvers in

Pristina, Kosovo and Skopje.

NATO Component Commands

Allied Land Component Command - Heidelberg

Allied Air Component Command - Ramstein

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Allied Maritime Component Command - Northwood

Allied Land Component Command - Madrid

Joint Command Southwest (JCSW) (1999-2004)

Allied Air Component Command - Izmir

Allied Maritime Component Command - Naples

Allied Land Component Command - Heidelberg

A multinational NATO Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. Acts as a subordinate component

command of Joint Force Command Brunssum: CC-Land Heidelberg has a white flag with its

crest in the center.

Allied Air Component Command

Allied Air Forces Central Europe’s successor that was earlier established at Ramstein Air Base

on 28th June, 1974 as subordinate to Allied Forces Central Europe and On 1 July 2004, it came

to be known Component Command-Air Headquarters Ramstein, Germany.

Flag of CC-Air Ramstein is medium blue with its crest in the center.

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Allied Maritime Component Command - Northwood

It is located at Northwood in the United Kingdom; giving specialist Maritime knowhow to the

Joint Force Commander in Brunssum, the Netherlands. It consists of three subordinate maritime

groups. Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and 2 are multinational, integrated maritime forces

which are made up of vessels from various allied nations, performing operrations together as

single teams

It has a blue Flag is blue and a crest in the center of the flag.

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Allied Land Component Command

Joint Command Southwest of NATO located in Madrid, activated in 1999, was transferred into

in 2004, as new military NATO structure.

It has a green Flag with blue and white NATO emblem in the center.

Joint Command Southwest

The ISAF Joint Command is responsible for operations throughout Afghanistan. ISAF came into

existence when the Russians invaded Afghanistan.

Allied Air Component Command

Successor to the former NATO Air Force Command Southern Europe (AIRSOUTH) on 11th

August 2004 in Izmir, Turkey it was activated and came to be known as NATO CC-Air HQ. The

flag is medium blue with its badge in the center.

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Allied Maritime Component Command - Naples

Inaugurated on 1 July 2004, replaced the Headquarters Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe,

acts as a subordinate command and is located on the Nisida islands at Naples, Italy. It is situated

on the Island of Nisida, Naples, Italy.

With its emblem in the center, it is a while flag and has a badge which has a blue bordered disk,

consisting of a yellow map of Europe.

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References:

Retrieved on May 17th 2013

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/nat-ccds.html#oviewFinance Map of the World:

NATO OTAN: Retrieved on May 17th, 2013: http://www.nato.int/fchd/FCHD/history.html

ISAF: Retrieved on May17th, 2013: http://www.isaf.nato.int/subordinate-commands/isaf-joint-

command/index.php

Retrieved on May 17th: http://www.dtic.mil/bosnia/fs/land_for_ceneuro.html

Retrieved on May 17th, 2013: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/NATO#cite_note-50

Centag: Retrieved on May 17th 2013, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/int/nato-

centag.htm

Retrieved on May 17, 2013: http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com/units/hqusareur

/USAREUR_CENTAG.htm Retrieved on May 17, 2013:

http://www.tutorgigpedia.com/ed/Command_Component_Land_Heidelberg

Retrieved on May 17, 2013: http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/other/nato2008a.pdf