A Perspective on the USAFE (United States Air Forces in Europe) Collocated Operating Base System

This note documents results of an evaluation of selected management issues associated with the development of the Collocated Operating Base COB program in NATO. The COB concept was developed in response to the requirements for bedding down the large number of USAF aircraft to be sent to Europe in support of current contingency plans to augment forces of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe USAFE based in the theater. The research was designed to 1 assess the current status of the COB system of air bases in Europe 2 evaluate the capability of the COBs, especially their ability to generate and sustain wartime sorties 3 identify means of enhancing the combat contribution of the COBs and 4 identify actions that could improve the wartime readiness of COB-related resources. The authors suggest that the USAFE staff must develop two general policy areas to ensure that the COBs, as a system, provide the planned defense posture a concerted program to increase the peacetime emphasis on developing the COBs as a system and specific programs to evaluate, test, and increase the war-fighting capabilities of the COB-based augmentation air forces.