NATO to contribute AWACS in Syria

Baku. 11 February. REPORT.AZ/ NATO has agreed to use its fleet of E-3A AWACS to supplement the coalition fight against the Islamic State, commonly known as ISIL or ISIS.

Report informs referring to the Russian media, the alliance will also immediately task its Standing Maritime Group 2 to the Aegean sea to slow the flow of migrants fleeing Syria, as part of a plan put forth by Greece, Turkey and Germany.

The news was announced by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following a NATO ministerial, during which US Secretary of Defense pushed for a greater role for NATO in operations over Iraq and Syria.

“We are looking at how we can step up our support,” Stoltenberg said. “We will provide AWACS which will increase capabilities for [the] coalition to fight ISIL, and we will of course asses constantly if we should do more.”

NATO has 16 E-3A aircraft. According to an alliance factsheet, they are based primarily out of NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, but can also operate out of Component Forward Operating Bases in Aktion, Greece; Trapani, Italy; Konya, Turkey; and Oerland, Norway.