NATO Integrated Air Defense System
It has been constantly upgraded since its formation, notably with the integration of Airborne Early Warning aircraft in the 1970s.
The system was to be based on four air defense regions (ADRs) coordinated by SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander Europe).
Starting from 1956 early warning coverage was extended across Western Europe using 18 radar stations.
Linked to existing national radar sites the coordinated system was called the NATO Air Defence Ground Environment (NADGE).
From 1960 NATO countries agreed to place all their air defence forces under the command of SACEUR in the event of war.
These forces included command & control (C2) systems, radar installations, and Surface-to-Air (SAM) missile units as well as interceptor aircraft.
By 1972 NADGE was converted into NATINADS consisting of 84 radar sites and associated Control Reporting Centers (CRC) and in the 1980s the Airborne Early Warning / Ground Environment Integration Segment (AEGIS) upgraded the NATINADS with the possibility to integrate the AWACS radar picture and all of its information into its visual displays.
In order to counter the hardware obsolescence, during the mid-1990s NATO started the AEGIS Site Emulator (ASE) program allowing the NATINADS/AEGIS sites to replace the proprietary hardware (the 5118ME computer and the various operator consoles IDM-2, HMD-22, IDM-80) with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) servers and workstations.
[3] The Belgian Air Component's Control and Reporting Centre was based at Glons, where also its main radar was located.
The Bulgarian Air Force fields three control and surveillance zones, which operate obsolete Soviet-era radars.
The Royal Canadian Air Force's control centres and radar stations are part of the Canadian/American North American Aerospace Defense Command.
1st Area Control Centre, inside Mount Chortiatis, with Marconi S-743D 2nd Area Control Centre, inside Mount Parnitha, with Marconi S-743D 9th Control and Warning Station Squadron, on Mount Pelion, with Marconi S-743D 10th Control and Warning Station Squadron, on Mount Chortiatis, with Marconi S-743D The Hellenic Air Force's Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC 7) at Larissa Air Base was deactivated in 2013 and its responsibilities transferred to the CAOC Torrejón in Spain.
In its place a wartime mobilization back-up CRC has been formed with a reduction in personnel from the around active 170 duty to about 50 air force home guardsmen.
As of 2021, the Polish Air Force possesses three NUR-12M and three RAT-31DL long-range radars making up BACKBONE system, which are listed below.
Additionally, the WSR-98D radar stations in Bârnova, Medgidia, Bobohalma, Timișoara, and Oradea are officially designated and operated as a civilian radar stations by the National Meteorological Administration, however their data is fed into the military air surveillance system as well.
The UK is also unique in Europe in possessing a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) which is based at RAF Fylingdales.
The United States Air Force's control centres and radar stations are part of the Canadian/American North American Aerospace Defense Command.
