Geilenkirchen: NATO air base declares increased alert level

NATO has declared the second highest alert level at its air base in Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. All employees who were not required for the mission were sent home as a precautionary measure, said a spokesman for the air base near Aachen. The reason for this was intelligence information that pointed to a possible threat.

Increased warning level at base in Geilenkirchen – what we know

The current security level Charlie means in NATO jargon that an incident has occurred or that there is evidence that some form of terrorist action against the alliance is very likely. “This is no cause for concern and is purely a precautionary measure to ensure that we can continue our critical operations,” said the air base spokesman. When asked, he did not provide any further details on the circumstances that led to the increase in the alert level.

The police confirmed an ongoing operation on Thursday evening. No further details were given, including the number of officers deployed. A spokesman for the police in Cologne said early Friday morning that there was no further information on the matter at this time.

A dpa reporter on site observed police cars on the grounds of the air force base. Security level C was displayed on electronic displays and boards at the entrance to the site.

Location of the early warning system Awacs

NATO has stationed the AWACS flying early warning system in Geilenkirchen. 14 converted Boeing 707 aircraft monitor the airspace with the aim of detecting potential dangers at an early stage and giving advance warning to the alliance. The multinational unit provides classic air and sea surveillance and is used as a kind of flying command center in combat aircraft operations.

The unit has taken part in numerous missions, for example in the Balkans and Afghanistan. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO temporarily relocated aircraft to Romania.

Awacs stands for “Airborne Early Warning and Control System”. The machines have a range of 9,250 kilometers and can locate and identify other aircraft more than 400 kilometers away. They also have a large radar device on their backs that resembles a mushroom.

Sabotage feared a week ago

Around a week ago, there were fears of sabotage at several Bundeswehr locations. After an investigation, however, the all-clear was given. For example, the police and state security investigated a security incident at the waterworks of the Cologne-Wahn air force barracks on suspicion that the drinking water may have been contaminated.

Suspicious observations were also made in Geilenkirchen. According to information from security circles, someone in the vicinity of the airport was taken into custody for questioning, but the suspicion against the person was not substantiated.

What we don’t know

At this point, we can only speculate as to why the security level in Geilenkirchen was ultimately increased and what might be behind it. The police, the Ministry of Defense and NATO have not provided any information on this.

Possible connections: According to media reports, several drones were seen over an industrial site in Brunsbüttel on Thursday. Where they came from and what their destination was is unknown. It is not known whether this is related to the increased security level in Geilenkirchen.

It is also not known whether cases of sabotage at several Bundeswehr locations around a week ago had anything to do with the security level in Geilenkirchen. At that time, however, the all-clear was given after an inspection. For example, the police and state security were investigating a security incident at the waterworks at the Cologne-Wahn air force barracks on suspicion that the drinking water might have been contaminated.

Suspicious observations were also made in Geilenkirchen. According to information from security circles, a person was taken into custody in the vicinity of the airport for questioning, but the suspicion was not confirmed.

Restricted air traffic: It was unclear whether the planned air traffic at the air base in Geilenkirchen could be resumed on Friday. A press spokesman for the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force (AWACS) Geilenkirchen initially only said that the increased security level would probably apply until Friday morning.