The EUROAT specification is an important enhancer of safety between military and civil aviation in implementing States. It provides the regulatory framework for OAT-IFR in controlled airspace at the European level, improves the interface between OAT and GAT, and minimises the impact on military operational procedures and aerial tactics.
For military pilots, EUROAT is a comprehensive document containing OAT flight rules when operating under OAT in the airspace of implementing States – while for civil ATCOs, it contains essential information on how the military conducts flying activities under OAT that are not covered under GAT rules.
This is accomplished by adhering to three principles: whenever possible:
- EUROAT reuses ICAO (SERA) rules, procedures and definitions specified for GAT flights;
- EUROAT details the rules required for OAT, in addition to and/or deviating from ICAO (SERA) provisions;
- where the operational requirements of a flight are incompatible with either of the above, these requirements should be met by use of an Airspace Reservation (ARES) of appropriate type and dimension, or by other methods that are considered sufficiently safe and are approved by the appropriate national authority.
EUROAT is an important cornerstone of EUROCONTROL’s civil-military cooperation, and a further eight States have confirmed their intention to join by the end of 2020.