EATC and MCCE* are located just 100 meters from each other at the Eindhoven airbase. Two independent entities and unique multinational structures! They have a lot in common, and above all concerted strategic airlift and air-to-air refuelling efforts.
While EATC is a command whose core activities are air transport, air-to-air refuelling and strategic aeromedical evacuation missions, the MCCE is a coordinating body encompassing a full spectrum of movements and transportation (air, land and sea transport).
EATC and MCCE recently signed a letter of intent to reinforce their common objective to address the challenges of pooling and sharing in the interest of their member nations. They also agreed to foster all kinds of solutions to develop interoperability among their member nations.
Same roots, same values, same destiny…
… this is what both entities share. And they have a common key to success : they have gained the trust and confidence of their respective member nations. Thanks to this trust and confidence, the member nations are willing to pool and share. EATC and MCCE supports them by providing effective and efficient transport solutions.
EATC and MCCE are drawing on innovative business models and are expanding the cooperative efforts by sharing expertise with each other. The fluid and reactive collaboration between them is reinforced thanks to their colocation.
This permanent symbiotic relationship lies also in the ability to extend each other’s actions in the effective use of the ATARES ** mechanism.
MCCE is the pivot point of the ATARES. The ATARES exchanges are multiplied through MCCE continuous commitment to find effective air transport solutions for their 28 member nations.
Thanks to a permanent and daily exchange of air transport, air-to-air refuelling and aeromedical evacuation services between the 7 member nations, EATC on the other hand is an incubator of ATARES exchanges – a catalyst to boost the exchange among the nations.
MCCE and EATC definitely belong to this new incentive wave to create successful nucleus organisations to support EU and NATO defence cooperation.They will both contribute in the future EU and NATO challenges like the military mobility in and outside Europe or in their planning and tasking movement processes for large exercises and operations.
So why are they a winning duo?
Sharing common roots and values does not make you necessarily a winning duo. So how does it work with EATC and MCCE?
Both organisations harness wholeheartedly their uniqueness and their peculiarities. They cooperate, coordinate and just combine perfectly their action to provide effective transportation to their member nations.
Being distinctive does not hamper them. It does not matter that EATC focuses on air transport solutions and MCCE’s aims at multimodal answers. Or that EATC offers concrete rules and regulations to be implemented whereas MCCE promotes the interoperability with its 28 member nations.
On the contrary, the duality shows how both entities’ activities are closely linked and how EATC and MCCE enhances one another.
What will the future bring?
The ever-changing global security environment will affect EATC and MCCE.
EATC and MCCE will undoubtedly strive towards unexplored domains. MCCE will support a MCCE-like structure to other geographical areas, such as the Pacific. EATC could facilitate structures based upon EATC’s business model around Europe and the world. Both entities could develop a global network and create a new leverage effect.
EATC and MCCE will continue to forge their cooperative efforts through a strong relationship defined by mutual trust and confidence.
* MCCE: Movement Coordination Centre Europe (see more about MCCE)
**ATARES: Air Transport and Air-to-air Refuelling and other Exchanges of Services