NATO eyes in the sky, keeping Europe out of Russia’s war

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

UEDEM, Germany (AP) — As Russia prepared to invade Ukraine, NATO planners went into overdrive. Their aim was to put more surveillance aircraft and fighter jets into alliance skies near Ukraine and Russia. Without stepping over the line. At NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center in Uedem, western Germany, a few dozen military personnel now simultaneously manage up to 30 aircraft from the northern tip of Norway to down around Ukraine to Slovakia. They can divert patrolling aircraft to monitor suspicious Russian planes, or scramble jets on 15-minute standby from around Europe. They can even track missiles. But NATO does not want to be dragged into a wider war with Russia, so borders and airspace must be respected.