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A Value-added Focal Point for the Transformation of Joint Air and Space Power in NATO
MT: General, could you give us an overview of JAPCC, its history, organisation, chain of command and how many NATO allies are participating?
Schubert: Thank you very much for the opportunity to give you my views on the JAPCC. First I would like to state that I feel very much privileged to speak for the Director, General William T. Hobbins, who asked me to do this interview on his behalf.
As regards the history of JAPCC and its organisations, several years ago the German Air Force, along with many NATO air forces came to recognise the tremendous significance of air power for modern military operations. On the other hand, it was also recognised that the correct application of air power was dependent on a deep understanding of its complexity and implications. From this focus they derived the clew to come up with a Joint Air Power Competence Centre here at Kalkar to give the air power community a viable tool to deal with the very complex nature of joint air power. Based on the foundation of the Reaction Force Air Staff, JAPCC was established on 1 January 2005. Initially we had 16 sponsoring nations, which have since grown to 17 with the accession of Romania in January 2006, and I am hopeful that we will see even more nations join the club later this year or next year.
In regard to the Chain of Command JAPCC is independent and outside of the NATO command structure, with the status of a so-called "Multi-National Centre of Excellence" and we are closely linked to Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, United States. On the administrative side we are answerable to a Senior Resource Committee formed by members of the sponsoring nations and for the content of our work we are responsible towards the Air Chiefs of the seventeen sponsoring nations. So the seventeen Air Chiefs are basically our bosses.
Within the organisation we are led by a US four-star general who as already mentioned currently is General Hobbins, Commander of the US Air Forces Europe, who also wears several other hats including the Director Joint Air Force Competence Centre. I am his Executive...