Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG). 4 ATAF commanded all flying units based within its sector and all reinforcements flying into its sector, as well as ground based radar systems and stations, air defense units and the airfields in its sector.
Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force was formed in 1951 with its area of responsibility covering the Germany south of the city of Kassel. Commander of Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force at its inception was the commanding Major General of the American Twelfth Air Force based in the southwest of Germany. After Twelfth Air Force returned to the continental US in 1958, the commander of Seventeenth Air Force took over command of Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force.
The main establishment of 4 ATAF was a headquarters which had several locations over more than forty years. Established about 1951 at Trier Air Base, the unit was moved to Ramstein Air Base in November 1957 where it remained until December 1980 when it was moved to Heidelberg where it was colocated with Headquarters Central Army Group. An operational Air Defence Operations Centre was operated at Ouvrage Molvange from 1961 until 1967 when it was moved to a USAF site in Kindsbach just south of Ramstein Air Base. The HQ also operated a number of communications sites which were concerned with secure communications for the release of tactical nuclear weapons through the NATO Quick Reaction Alert Force. In 1985 NATO began with the construction of a new Static War Headquarters bunker in Ruppertsweiler, Germany. Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force commanded besides Seventeenth Air Force, the US Army's 32nd Air Defense Command, 1 Canadian Air Group and two German Air Force (Luftwaffe) divisions, as well as extensive secure communications, air defense and radar installations manned by Germany and the US Air Force.
If needed, 4 ATAF would have been reinforced with units from the US Third (UK based), Eighth (reconnaissance and bombing), Ninth (immediate reinforcements) and Twelfth Air Force (follow on reinforcements), and with Royal Canadian Air Force and French Air Force units. At the start of hostilities 4 ATAF would have had immediately around 600 combat aircraft at its disposal. The following units would have come under 4 ATAF in wartime:
4 ATAF was disbanded on 30 June 1993, its duties were taken over by Allied Air Forces Central Europe.
Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force, Heidelberg, FRGAir Defence Operations Center (ADOC), MaastrichtSector Operations Center 3 (SOC 3), Sembach Air Base1st Btn, 32nd (Luftwaffe) Signal Regiment, Control and Reporting Center Börfink2nd Btn, 32nd (Luftwaffe) Signal Regiment, Control and Reporting Center Lauda-Königshofen4th Btn, 32nd (Luftwaffe) Regiment, Lauda-Königshofen, with 12x mobile Radar systems forward deployed to the inner German border.Sector Operations Center 4 (SOC 4), Meßstetten1st Btn, 31st (Luftwaffe) Signal Regiment, Control and Reporting Center Meßstetten2nd Btn, 31st (Luftwaffe) Signal Regiment, Control and Reporting Center FreisingSeventeenth Air Force, (US Air Force) Sembach Air Base65th Air Division, at Lindsey Air Station52nd Tactical Fighter Wing, at Spangdahlem Air Base23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon81st Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon66th Electronic Combat Wing, at Sembach Air Base43rd Electronic Combat Squadron, with EC-130H Compass Call316th Air Division, at Ramstein Air Base86th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Ramstein Air Base512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon26th Tactical Reconnaissance Fighter Wing, at Zweibrücken Air Base38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, with 22x RF-4C Phantom II36th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Bitburg Air Base22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle525th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle50th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Hahn Air Base10th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 25 Falcon313th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 25 Falcon496th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 25 Falcon601st Tactical Control Wing, at Sembach Air Base (operating AN/TPS-43 mobile radars)32d Air Defense Command, (US Army) Schweinfurt10th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Darmstadt3rd Bn, 52d Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Wildflecken, (24x MIM-23 Hawk)2nd Bn, 43d Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Hanau, (48x MIM-104 Patriot)4th Bn, 43d Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Giessen, (48x MIM-104 Patriot)69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Würzburg3rd Bn, 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Grafenwöhr, (24x MIM-23 Hawk)6th Bn, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Würzburg, (24x MIM-23 Hawk)6th Bn, 43d Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Ansbach, (48x MIM-104 Patriot)8th Bn, 43d Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Giebelstadt, (48x MIM-104 Patriot)94th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Kaiserslautern1st Bn, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Kaiserlautern, (48x MIM-104 Patriot)3rd Bn, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Ramstein, (MIM-72 Chaparral, M163 VADS Vulcan, FIM-92 Stinger)4th Bn, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Neubrücke, (24x MIM-23 Hawk)108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Spangdahlem1st Bn, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Mannheim, (24x MIM-23 Hawk)4th Bn, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Dexheim, (48x MIM-104 Patriot)5th Bn, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Spangdahlem, (48x MIM-104 Patriot)5th Bn, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Spangdahlem, (Chaparral, M163 VADS Vulcan, FIM-92 Stinger)German Air Force1st Luftwaffendivision, FürstenfeldbruckBremgarten Air BaseAufklärungsgeschwader 51, 2 x squadrons with 15 x RF-4E (Reconnaissance)Landsberg am LechFlugkörpergeschwader 1, 4 x squadrons with 9 x Pershing 1aLechfeld Air BaseJagdbombergeschwader 32, 2 x squadrons with 16 x Tornado IDS each, and 6x Tornado IDS in reserveBüchel Air BaseJagdbombergeschwader 33note 1, 2x squadrons with 16x Tornado IDS each, and 6x Tornado IDS in reserveMemmingen Air BaseJagdbombergeschwader 34note 1, 2x squadrons with 16x Tornado IDS each, and 6x Tornado IDS in reservePferdsfeld Air BaseJagdbombergeschwader 35, 2x squadrons with 15x F-4F each, and 4x F-4F in reserveLeipheim Air BaseJagdbombergeschwader 44, 1st squadron permanently deployed to Beja Airbase in Portugal with 18x Alpha Jets for weapons trainingFürstenfeldbruck Air BaseJagdbombergeschwader 49, 2x squadrons with 18x Alpha Jets each, and 24x Alpha Jets in reserve (18x for 2nd squadron Jagdbombergeschwader 44)2nd Luftwaffendivision, BirkenfeldNeuburg Air BaseJagdgeschwader 74, 2x squadrons with 15x F-4F each, and 4x F-4F in reserve4th Air Defense Missile Command, Lich21st Air Defense Missile Wing, Möhnesee, with 6x MIM-104 Patriot squadrons; each with 1x Engagement Control Station, 1x Radar Set, 8x launch stations38th Air Defense Missile Wing, Burbach, with 4x MIM-23 Hawk squadrons; each with 1x Hawk battery (6x launch stations)42nd Air Defense Missile Group, Schöneck, with 42x Roland systems guarding Rhein-Main, Sembach, Nörvenich, Pferdsfeld and Büchel air bases and Lindsey Air Station5th Air Defense Missile Command, Erding23rd Air Defense Missile Wing, Manching, with 6x MIM-104 Patriot squadrons; each with 1x Engagement Control Station, 1x Radar Set, 8x launch stations32nd Air Defense Missile Wing, Freising, with 4x MIM-23 Hawk squadrons; each with 1x Hawk battery (6x launch stations)34th Air Defense Missile Wing, Rottenburg an der Laaber, with 4x MIM-23 Hawk squadrons; each with 1x Hawk battery (6x launch stations)6th Air Defense Missile Command, Lenggries22nd Air Defense Missile Wing, Penzing, with 6x MIM-104 Patriot squadrons; each with 1x Engagement Control Station, 1x Radar Set, 8x launch stations33rd Air Defense Missile Wing, Lenggries, with 4x MIM-23 Hawk squadrons; each with 1x Hawk battery (6x launch stations)43rd Air Defense Missile Group, Leipheim, with 26x Roland systems guarding Lechfeld, Memmingen, Erding, Neuburg and Bremgarten air basesCanadian Forcesnote 21 Canadian Air Division, CFB Baden-Söllingen3 Wing CFB Lahr416 Tactical Fighter Squadron or 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron from CFB Cold Lake, 18x CF-18425 Tactical Fighter Squadron or 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron from CFB Bagotville, 18x CF-18129 Air Defence Battery (detached from 4 Air Defence Regiment, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, 4x ADATS, 8x 35mm Skyguard)4 Wing CFB Baden-Söllingen409 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 18x CF-18421 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 18x CF-18439 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 18x CF-18128 Air Defence Battery (detached from 4 Air Defence Regiment, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, 4x ADATS, 8x 35mm Skyguard)note 1: Nuclear sharing unit capable of delivering tactical nuclear weapons.
note 2: The Canadian Forces NATO reinforcement units were two Fighter Squadrons rotated from CFB Cold Lake with 416 Tactical Fighter Squadron and 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron, and from CFB Bagotville with 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron and 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron each with 18x CF-18. These forces represented the complete combat-capable assets of Canadian Forces Air Command. The units marked as reinforcements were nominally assigned to the NORAD Canada East and Canada West regions, the plan being that once the two squadrons were deployed to NATO there would be two squadrons remaining with NORAD (one squadron in each region).
