Origins and context (2011–2015)

The European Tactical Airlift Centre (ETAC) emerged in response to the need to standardize and enhance tactical training in military air transport across Europe. This need was identified within the framework of the European Air Transport Fleet (EATF), a program launched by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and signed by 21 countries in 2011 with the aim of increasing European airlift capability and improving military interoperability.

During the initial years, courses and activities were developed under the umbrella of the European program, and Spain, among other member states, offered to host a permanent center for advanced tactical airlift training. From 2012 onwards, the first multinational training events began to be planned and conducted.

In December 2015, Zaragoza (Spain) was formally selected as the location of the permanent center, and the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Air Force signed the agreement that would give shape to the project.

Official establishment of ETAC (2017)

On 8 June 2017, the European Tactical Airlift Centre (ETAC) was officially inaugurated at Zaragoza Air Base (Spain), marking a milestone in European defense cooperation. The ceremony was attended by the High Representative of the European Union and Head of the EDA, Federica Mogherini, as well as representatives from the Spanish Ministry of Defence and multiple participating nations.

The creation of ETAC represented the largest permanent transfer of an EDA project to a Member State, consolidating cooperation through a stable structure to manage tactical airlift training.

Since its opening, ETAC has worked on courses and programs aimed at aircrews, instructors, and support personnel from European air forces, with the objective of harmonizing tactics, techniques, and procedures in complex operational environments.

International expansion and consolidation

Since becoming operational, ETAC has experienced an expansion in international participation. Initially composed of 11 European nations (including Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal), the number of involved countries has increased with the accession of Romania (2018), Austria (2019), and Lithuania (2023), reaching at least 14 participating nations.

The courses delivered by ETAC have also gained recognition and scale: since 2017, more than 100 aircrews and 120 tactical instructors have been trained, accumulating thousands of flight hours in joint training within real or simulated operational scenarios.