European Missile Defense Center Opens

The US European Command leadership was on hand for last week’s opening of the European Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center in Einsiedlerhof, Germany, according to US Air Forces in Europe officials. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Sept. 26 with EUCOM Commander Adm. James Stavridis, who also heads NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, and USAFE Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove, who also leads the allied Air Component Command at Ramstein AB, Germany. The center is meant to support the increased education and training requirements driven by the emerging NATO mission for the territorial ballistic missile defense of Europe. “What we see today represents the US contribution to this critical mission, and we fully expect to grow it into a true coalition center with US and European nation partners working side by side,” said Breedlove. (Einsiedlerhof report by Capt. William Russell)