On 23-24 May 2023, the European Air Group (EAG) hosted its annual Steering Group meeting, on this occasion hosted by the Director, Lieutenant General André Steur, the Director of the EAG and Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The meeting was held at the Van Ghentkazerne Marine Corps base in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where the Director and his team welcomed the six other national chiefs or their representatives, the EAG Deputy Director and the executive team to the event.
The purpose of the event was to allow the national chiefs to give their guidance and direction to the EAG for their ongoing and potential future projects for the year ahead, whilst also providing a forum to discuss matters of mutual interest.
On the first day, the Steering Group members and their support personnel gathered for an informal social event, which was followed by a tour of parts of Rotterdam, delving into its history and the impact of past conflict on the city.
The formal meeting continued on the second day with the Director opening the meeting with a welcome address and opening comments from each EAG nation. The meeting continued with a discussion on the EAG’s progress over the past 12 months and on the impact of recent world events. The EAG included the signature of a Letter of Intent by 5 of the participating nations, which seeks to improve interoperability in the use of Tactical Data Links. Finally, direction was given to the EAG on the focus for the next 12 months and the meeting concluded with a presentation, by the Director on behalf of the 7 air force chiefs, of a plaque celebrating the 25th anniversary of the EAG.
Special thanks go again to the Royal Netherlands Air Force team and the Royal Netherlands Navy Marine Corps for hosting us and helping the EAG to continue to deliver on our aim of “Improving Capability Through Interoperability” for our seven nations.
