NATO Missile Firing Installation

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The NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) is a NATO firing range in Crete . It is located east of the city of Chania near the airport of the same name.

history

The SERGEANT missile

On the east coast of the peninsula Akrotiri which targeted NATO group in 1967 for the NATO advisory practice course for training with air defense systems SAM NIKE and HAWK one.

Aerial photo of the NAMFI site

The established infrastructure comprised various areas for firing positions , buildings, air surveillance radar, communication facilities, accommodations, including the first weapon systems. Since then, the facility has also included part of the Mediterranean area and the airspace east of Akrotiri, which are closed to everyone when shooting takes place.

Since then, almost all NATO armed forces and armies of friendly states have practiced with their air defense forces using their air defense systems and anti-aircraft weapons in the sharp shot. The surface -to- surface missiles SERGEANT and LANCE of the German corps artillery were also launched there.

In 1996, the objective of the facility changed from a pure weapons firing range to a facility that allows training in the tactical combination of weapon systems and the interaction of NATO forces in air defense.

Current usage

Launch of a Nike Hercules on the NAMFI site

In so-called shooting campaigns, which are planned annually by the armed forces of the user states, the training units set up the weapon systems they have brought with them. At the same time, companies commissioned organize the infrastructure necessary for the threat representation. In the course of the increased demands of the battle of connected weapon systems, different branches of the armed forces (also from different nations) are increasingly taking part in a shooting campaign at the same time. So it happens that in addition to Army anti- aircraft troops and FlaRak units of the Air Force , frigates of the German Navy also practice together. The main challenge then lies in the networking and communication of the associations and air defense systems.

Modern drone configuration

In the actual part of the mission, during which the restriction area is activated (blocking of air space and sea area), the target display bodies are started. You move on previously planned routes that are tailored to the training goal in coordination with the exercising unit. The target display systems from EADS Military Air Systems currently in use at NAMFI are able to simultaneously move up to eight target display drones in the airspace as a "friend-foe" display. In threat scenarios simulated in this way, the target display drones are recorded and “tracked” by the weapon control system and / or the weapon operator in order to then prove in the final shot that the threat was successfully repelled. Target display bodies that have not been hit return to a recovery area (usually north of the NAMFI border), where they are landed automatically or manually.

A ballistic attack was simulated for the first time in 2008 . A two-stage STAR rocket (Supersonic Target Rocket) was fired in the direction of Akrotiri from an island 170 km northeast. In the so-called “salvo shot” (simultaneous launch of several guided missiles), Patriot missiles successfully repelled the “attacker”.

After the end of the mission window (period of closure of the restricted area), the target display bodies are recovered. Because of the rugged, rocky landscape, helicopters are used, which the drones fly back to the Pervolitsa launch site as an external load. Divers with rubber dinghies bring back the drones that have fallen into the water as long as they have not sunk. The soldiers are already evaluating the training results at this time. The training units then dismantle their weapon systems and travel back to their home countries.

organization

The NAMFI range is currently under the direction of the Greek Brigadier General Ippokratis Daskalakis. The main user nations Germany and the Netherlands are represented by liaison officers .

Others

On February 2, 1975, an Air Force Transall of Lufttransportgeschwader 63 crashed while approaching in the mountains of the island. In addition to the aircraft crew, there were 34 soldiers of the anti-aircraft missile battalion 39 on board who were on their way to participate in the annual "Annual Shooting Practice" at the firing range. All 42 inmates were killed.

literature

  • Dornier. The chronicle of the oldest German aircraft factory. 3rd edition, Aviatic Verlag, Oberhaching 1996, ISBN 3-925505-01-6 .
  • Air Force: 50 years of anti-aircraft missiles.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: TACTICAL FIRINGS AT NAMFI ) Website of the NAMFI range@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / namfi.gr
  2. ^ TBM shooting as part of the Rapid Arrow 2011 exercise
  3. ^ Anti TBM Firing 2008 report in Luftwaffe.de

Coordinates: 35 ° 34 ′ 22 ″  N , 24 ° 10 ′ 25 ″  E