Reinforcing NATO’s Eastern Airspace

Central and Eastern European air forces have been, or are being, modernised by procuring fourth-generation multi-role fighter aircraft. Experience from these air forces demonstrates that, to varying degrees, communist legacy institutional concepts that were designed for Soviet/Russian fighter aircraft remain active in these defence institutions. On the basis of these experiences and lessons learned, Thomas-Durell Young identifies institutional capacity-building solutions and aligns needed ministerial-level policy to key actors in the defence institutions that can be used to bring these aircraft to higher fully mission capable rates.◼