Institutional aspects of military engagement in the process of the European air traffic management system modernisation

At the beginning of the 21st century, the European Union (EU) started work to modernise air traffic management systems and create a pan-European airspace independent of national borders. The initiated SES and SESAR programmes aim to better meet the forecasted needs of the air transport sector in the areas of safety, capacity, economic efficiency and environmental protection. These programmes are not directly applicable to military operations and training, but their implementation has a significant impact on the technical and operational issues of military aviation and the defence budgets of the EU Member States and NATO. Therefore, it is necessary to involve military authorities and experts at the earliest possible stage in all legislative and technological projects carried out under the SES initiative and the SESAR programme. The political views and decisions of allied and national military authorities regarding the Single European Sky are shaped by the institutional context in which they take place. This article reviews the participation of NATO and the European Defence Agency (EDA), the main organisations representing the military side in both programmes, and evaluates their contribution to the successful completion of the European air traffic management system reform projects.