Military Technology EATC

MILITARY TECHNOLOGY Special Issue 2021· 17 the cabin with buffer zones between crews and passengers or individual protection equipment for the crews. Once they decided on mandatory disinfection procedures of the aircraft after each mission, the aircraft availability dropped dramatically and EATC had to adapt to this shortage, while the priority of the missions remained high. On top of these challenges, the Aeromedical Evacuation Control Centre (AECC) experts faced an unprecedented situation with a need to transport infectious patients on any type of aircraft and national bans on stopovers when infected patients were on board. Of course, the pandemic hit EATC as a whole. Most of the 2020 training and exercise programme had to be cancelled, which imposed a delay on the set training objectives. Then the headquarters was confronted with a situation that is, in principle, not in the DNA of a defence entity, and for certain not of operational business: the sudden upsurge in remote work. … to Windows of Opportunities EATC faced a situation where the missions could no longer be planned and executed according to standardised procedures and long-lasting experience. They entered uncharted waters, while, on the other hand, the urgency of the missions required prompt, but viable solutions. So, the operational experts started looking for information wherever available in order to create “a picture of the situation”. They were permanently in When COVID-19 broke out, armed forces have provided fast and crucial support from the provision of field hospitals or medical exper- tise to the transport of patients, logistics and more. As such, EATC was engaged from the very first moment, facing the unpredictability and urgency of the situation that is characteristic to many crisis con- flicts. Responding to a crisis situation is the essence of a military command. It also leads to a dynamic opening to find solutions and to unexpected opportunities to generate innovative ideas. From Unpredictability… EATC’s operational team was the first to be confronted with unfore- seen problems. Worldwide, the countries ordered national restrictions. Borders, airports and airspace were closed, opened and closed again from one day to another. Restrictions for landing, overflying, remaining overnight or movement of personnel were implemented without previous warning. This entailed that EATC planning experts continuously had to revise routes, and destinations. They also faced increasing differing national di- rectives to adapt requirements for crews and passengers. When social distancing and face masks started ruling our daily lives, it was no different in the restricted space of an aircraft. Nations imposed customised use of EATC at Large COVID-19: From Challenges to Opportunities German medical personnel prepare for relocation of COVID-19 infected patients. (Photo: German Air Force)