Oct 3 2025

NCIA upgrades Estonian Air Command and Control System

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) has completed a strategic upgrade to Estonia’s Air Command and Control (AirC2) system, reinforcing the Ally’s role in NATO’s Baltic air policing mission and the Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS). This modernization enhances Estonia’s ability to monitor and secure its airspace amid rising regional tensions and evolving drone threats.

NCIA experts have upgraded the Air Situation Data Exchange (ASDE) Gateway Service, which facilitates the exchange of filtered and downgraded air picture information. The service strengthens air safety, supports air traffic management, and reduces the risk cross-border incidents by enabling real time coordination between the Estonian Air Force and the Estonian Air Navigation Services.

NCIA upgrades Estonian Air Command and Control System

An Air Command and Control (C2) system is like the brain of military air operations. Radar detects and tracks flying objects, like aircraft, missiles. The information is sent to the command centres.

The rapid completion of the upgrade in respond to an Estonian urgent operational request demonstrates NCIA’s readiness posture. “We are ready to react efficiently when called upon to ensure continuous and reliable support to Allied air operations,” explains John Booth, NCIA Air Command and Control Centre Chief.

Estonia operates two complementary air-surveillance systems: The Police and Border Guard Board monitors maritime borders and tracks low-flying aerial objects near the frontier, and the Estonian Air Force runs a long-range radar network integrated into NATO’s air defence.

A Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) is a military facility that receives radar data and uses it to manage airspace and coordinate appropriate responses. The upgrade has been performed at the CRC in Tallinn, Estonia.

The country’s accession to the AirC2 Communications and Information Partnership (AirC2 C&IP) in 2025, provided the legal and technical framework that accelerated this upgrade.