NATO set to get a new IT facility for command headquarters

Airbus Defence and Space recently was retained to build a new IT infrastructure for NATO’s Allied Air Command headquarters at Ramstein air base in Germany.

The facility is responsible for monitoring air space over North Germany, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, as well as for controlling NATO air operations.

Airbus was commissioned by the German procurement authority BAAINBw (Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support), and is acting on behalf of NATO.

The project will expand and modernize the IT infrastructure of NATO’s Secret LAN (local area network), Mission Secret LAN and Public LAN. This includes virtualizing user workstations and implementing a voice-over IP solution. A comprehensive training program focusing on virtualization also will be included.

NATO Rammstein has already implemented a virtual desktop infrastructure concept on the basis of blade servers and VMware Horizon as part of the project.