S.H.I.E.L.D
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International Enforcement, Logistics, and Defense
for NATO military forces
Strategic Headquarters, International Enforcement, Logistics, and Defense (S.H.I.E.L.D) is the central command of NATO military forces. Since 1967 it has been located in Casteau, north of Mons. From 1951 to 2003, SHIELD was the headquarters of operational forces in the European theatre (Allied Command Europe, ACE), but since 2003 it has been the headquarters of Allied Command Operations (ACO), controlling all allied operations worldwide.
Prior to 2003, SHIELD was known as Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), but this was changed to reflect the command's more international scope. However, the commanding officer of Allied Command Operations retains the traditional title Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and continues to be a U.S. four-star general officer or flag officer who also serves as Commander, U.S. European Command.
History
During the Korean War, concerns were raised about the readiness of Europe's against a Soviet attack. SHAPE was originally established in Fontainebleau, France to coordinate Allied military forces to guard against invasion from foreign aggressors, and it's command structure and deployment was coordinated to reflect that. SHAPE engaged extensively in training exercises to improve the cooperation and coordination between foreign militaries, and eventually moved towards integration into joint units.
In 1967, France withdrew from NATO, necessitating the relocation of NATO's military headquarters to Casteau, Belgium. SHAPE initially divided itself into three commands - North, Central, and South Europe - but after 1996 these were consolidated into just two, with the Alps serving as the dividing line between them. NATO also began to more actively participate in proactive military activity - in Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo, and Afghanistan - as well as defense, and SHAPE's structure adapted to accommodate that.
New concerns had arisen by 2003 that shifted NATO's focus away from foreign nations and towards terrorist groups, the mutant phenomenon, and other possible threats from within NATO's own borders. Worldwide military operations were consolidated into Allied Command Operations (ACO), and were combined with SHAPE and other NATO agencies under a single umbrella as Supreme Headquarters, International Enforcement, Logistics, and Defense. The former headquarters of Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT) meanwhile was re-tasked as Allied Command Transformation (ACT), a think tank to develop new tactics and technologies.
NATO Member States
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NATO / S.H.I.E.L.D Facilities
NATO Headquarters - Brussels, Belgium
The political and administrative headquarters for NATO, and the permanent home of the North Atlantic Council - NATO's senior political decision-making body - as well as delegations from the Alliance's member states and partner nations. NATO's International Staff and International Military Staff are also based here. This is the third NATO Headquarters, since 1967; it was preceded by Headquarters in London, UK (1949) and Paris, France (1958).
Supreme Headquarters, International Enforcement, Logistics, and Defense - Casteau, Belgium
NATO Communications and Information Agency - The Hague, Netherlands
NATO Support Agency - Capellen, Luxembourg
The NATO Support Agency (NSPA) is an international body that pools the resources NATO members allowing access to services and equipment that might not otherwise be economically viable for those nations. In particular, NSPA facilitates access to shared Airlift and Logistics infrastructures, as well as centralising procurement of aircraft, vehicles, and other equipment in a more economically viable way than expecting member states to procure them individually. Originally a stand-alone agency, it was folded into the SHIELD command structure in 2003.
Joint Warfare Centre - Stavanger, Norway
Joint Forces Training Centre - Bydgoszcz, Poland
Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum - Brunssum, Netherlands
Allied Air Command Ramstein - Ramstein, Germany
Command Component Land Heidelberg - Heidelberg, Germany
Static War Headquarters Castlegate - Linnich, Germany
NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen - Geilenkirchen, Germany
Allied Joint Force Command Naples - Naples, Italy
Allied Maritime Command Naples
Allied Force Command Madrid - Madrid, Spain
Allied Air Command Izmir - Izmir, Turkey
Combined Air Operations Center - Larissa, Greece
Allied Joint Command Lisbon - Lisbon, Portugal
Joint Arctic Command - Nuuk, Greenland
Contact Element Farroe Islands - Tórshavn, Farroe Islands
Allied Command Transformation - Norfolk, Virginia
NATO Science & Technology Organisation - Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
El Toro Applied Sciences Research Centre - Orange County, California
Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation - La Spezia, Italy
NATO / S.H.I.E.L.D Projects
Project Avenger
Also known as the Avenger Initiative, and proposed by Allied Command Transformation (ACT), Project Avenger called for the recruitment of superpowered individuals to function as a response team for situations when standard military tactics were not a viable approach. The first unit established under this initiative, the SHIELD Alpha Team, is informally known as the Avengers.
Project Defender
Also known as the Defender Initiative, Allied Command Transformation proposed a mobile command centre for SHIELD operations. NATO already had access to aircraft carriers, but the comparatively slow speeds of nautical craft made them impractical for rapid deployment; one of the contractors consulted by ACT, Treadstone Industries, proposed an Amphibious Helicarrier, capable of both nautical and airborne travel as required by mission criteria. The first helicarrier, the USS Defender (HCV-1) entered service with NATO in 2009.
Project Interceptor
A NATO Project from the nineties, Project Interceptor sought a fighter that could be made available to NATO members as an air superiority fighter. NATO had hoped to purchase the winner of the Advanced Tactical Fighter program, the F-22 Raptor, for this purpose: but the United States Air Force vetoed this, wanting to be the aircraft's sole operator. To keep costs low, NATO approached Northrop and McDonnell Douglas about their YF-23 design that had lost out to the F-22; with a few modifications to the design, it entered service with both American and European air forces as the F-23 Black Widow II.
Project Interdictor
Proposed by Allied Command Transformation, Project Interdictor sought a bespoke unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for use in SHIELD operations. They not only wanted a drone that could operate at altitude, but that also had the mobility, agility, and small scale to operate in more urbanised environments as well. The selected design was the VQ-12 Marauder, developed by Treadstone Industries.
Project Phantom
A joint project between NATO and the United States Navy to develop a carrier-born stealth aircraft to potentially serve as a counterpart to the Joint Strike Fighter. Based on the X-39 design pitched by Treadstone Industries during JSF selection, it entered service with the United States military as the A-11 Phantom III, and has seen limited deployment
Project Starhunter
NATO / S.H.I.E.L.D Aircraft
VQ-12 Marauder
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed specifically for SHIELD, the Treadstone Industries MQ-12 Marauder incorporates a mix of jet engines for thrust and rotors for lift - similar to the MV-24 - making it capable not only of operating at altitude, but also at low speeds within the confines of urban environments. It is minimally armed, but it's electronic warfare suite allows it to directly relay telemetry to other SHIELD aircraft, such as the A-11 Phantom III.
XMV-21 Condor
During the late eighties, two prototypes for the Treadstone Industries XMV-21 Condor were developed, as candidates for the Patrol Airship Concept Evaluation Study (PACES) of the United States Navy. The idea was to create a craft that could convert between VTOL and conventional flight as a possible patrol ship for use aboard aircraft carriers. The Treadstone design achieved this with large rotors that acted conventionally for vertical flight, and then functioned as wings for high speed flight with jet engines providing thrust. The design was never adopted by the United States Navy, but the two prototypes have been "appropriated" by the SHIELD Alpha Team.
UH-73 Choctaw
A utility helicopter, the Treadstone Industries UH-73 Choctaw was developed as a proof of concept, and pitched to the United States military without invitation. It differed from normal helicopter designs by it's use of ducted fans - a feature of many Treadstone designs - which provided the same lift and speed as traditional rotors but with a much shorter radius, more stability, and less noise. It is used to transport personnel over moderate distances, though the MV-24 Peregrine is favoured for longer range travel.
MV-24 Peregrine
Nicknamed the Helijet by SHIELD, the Treadstone Industries MV-24 Peregrine is a multirole vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. It achieves vertical flight from two rotors mounted within the wings, while forward thrust is provided by twin jet engines. This allows it to travel long distances at high speeds, but also manoeuvre and land easily in built-up areas, letting SHIELD response teams deploy quickly to crisis zones without the need for a parachute drop.
The NATO Multi-Role Combat Aircraft developed by British, German, and Italian engineers, the Panavia Tornado - a family of aircraft, rather than a specific design - is one of the main aircraft available to SHIELD. While the Tornado ADV has been made largely obsolete by the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Tornado IDS is still one of SHIELD's primary two-seater attack craft. It is purchased and distributed via the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency.
Eurofighter Typhoon
Designed and manufactured by the Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug consortium, the Eurofighter Typhoon was developed under contract from Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and serves in their air forces. Most Eurofighters are purchased via the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency; as yet however, Austria is the only other NATO nation to operate the Typhoon.
F-23 Black Widow II
A failed competitor for the Advanced Tactical Fighter, the Northrop–McDonnell Douglas F-23 Black Widow II was chosen by Project Interceptor in the nineties after the United States Air Force refused to allow the F-22 Raptor to be used by other operators. It is used primarily by NATO nations who do not have access to the Eurofighter Typhoon or Panavia Tornado.
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, often referred to as a Warthog by American pilots, is an old but still-used ground attack aircraft used exclusively by the United States Air Force.
AR-11 Phantom III
A compact stealth-capable assault fighter, the Treadstone Industries AR-11 Phantom III was designed to be the middle ground between the SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117 Nighthawk: a stealth craft capable of both reconnaissance missions and of delivering medium payloads to ground targets. The basic design was a failed competitor for the Joint Strike Fighter, chosen by NATO as part of Project Phantom to avoid initial research and development costs.
E-2 Hawkeye
An all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft, the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is primarily used by the navies of the United States and France to support their other aircraft. The SHIELD helicarrier, USS Defender, carries a number of these aboard.
E-3 Sentry
An airborne warning and control (AWACS) aircraft based on the Boeing 707, the Boeing E-3 Sentry is operated by the United States Air Force, Royal Air Force, French Air Force, and by joint military units of NATO to provide airborne early warning, and to serve as mobile command and control posts for fighter operations. None have been built since 1992, but the aircraft continues to be used extensively.
C-17 Globemaster III
During the nineties, a number of Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft were modified as mobile command bases, adding an extra set of tail wings and two additional engines to increase the craft's lift capacity. Globemasters of this and the standard configuration are used extensively by the NATO Airlift Management Programme, particularly in North America.
