AWACS visit at Kecskemét - November 03 2003

The Boeing E-3A of the NAPMO (NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Programme Management Organization) touched down under clear morning skies on the runway of the Szentgyörgyi Dezso AFB , Kecskemét, Hungary.
The NAPMO's thirteen current member nations are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the United States. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland are observers. The members of the organization share the dues of aircraft maintenance, personnel training and system development. The AWACS crews are delegated from the member countries as well. Currently NAPMO operates out of two bases. The first one is in Geilenkirchen, Germany and the other one is in Waddigton, UK. The assigned assets are eighteen E-3As and seven E-3Ds respectively. Numerous forward operating bases are available within the NATO countries.
Because the Secretary of Defense of the Republic of Hungary signed a declaration of intent to join NAPMO in November 1999, the purpose of the current visit was that Garry A. Winterberger, commander of the NATO AWACS forces, along with his colleagues, was to provide information about the structure and operation of NAPMO, which might prove helpful to decide when Hungary will eventually join NAPMO. Lieutenant General Zoltán Szenes and Commander Garry A. Winterberger held a press conference next to the Boeing.

Lieutenant General Szenes emphasized that January 01 2006 would be the ideal date for Hungary to join NAPMO. This would mean a step forward in the security of Hungarian airspace since AWACS aircraft are capable of locating and monitoring low flying targets and providing ATC for NATO aircraft. The membership costs for Hungary are predicted to be around 500 - 600m HUF (2.5 - 3m USD) annually. Hungarian corporations also will be able to bid for system development contracts. Commander Winterberger pointed out the advantages of being part of a multi-national organization like NAPMO. The member countries do not have to individually establish, operate and develop expensive AWACS technology. The lone E-3A on the runway and the nice weather provided ideal conditions for photo enthusiasts.

After its short visit, the NAPMO's E-3A (LX-N 90458) took off at 4 pm and returned to its home base.