European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 04, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse Daily Magazine keeping an Eye on Russ ships in the med by John Krueger staff writer being where the action is present nothing new to rear adm. Edward c. Outlaw who Heads the nato Mari time air forces Mediterranean mar armed Veteran of 30 years in naval Avia Tion the native of Greenville n.c., was decorated numerous times during world War n action in the Pacific. Just three years ago he was again cited As com Mander of a Carrier task Force operating off Vietnam. And now he s filling three vital Post sin the Mediterranean where increased soviet presence has been capturing cold War headlines. In addition to his nato hat outlaw ears those of the . Commander of Fleet air Mediterranean and the 6th Fleet Antisubmarine warfare Force. an interview in one of his offices in Naples the Admiral said of the intensified soviet activity in the Mediterranean that it has perhaps made us Little More aware of the possibility of some adventure on the part of the rus sians which might involve we continue he stated to do our surveillance Job just As we did before. Without any increase in forces really. The Only change that has been made is the formation of the new command the new nato command Here. An the advantage of such a command is that we now have a Central location where we can receive information from our allies where we can store this information Analyse it and hopefully from such analysis be Able to predict what the soviets might be doing in the Mediterranean from a military pointed out that previously the Al lies in the Mediterranean were gather ing information from Independent surveillance programs and that we share this information but we did not have a Central location or any one office responsible for the collection of All of it and analysing it As a single continued we be always shared information on up a bilateral basis Between the ., the u.k., the greeks the turks and so on. Now we will have a place to funnel All of such information and it will give us a Central the mar armed Headquarters is located As Are outlaw s . Commands in the main building of the . Naval support activity in Naples. First nations participating in the new nato Arm As it was activated i ceremonies at the . Naval air facility were the ., Britain and Italy. Outlaw explained that Greece and tur key would be joining in the activity of his command As soon As they have proper plans for the Job. They have surface ships that move around the littoral of their own countries anyway and we can receive information from these that Are not necessarily air surveillance he said. The Admiral pointed out that the ."will operate from greek and turkish Fields when we Are participating innate endeavours when they Are designated As such such As an annual Nat exercise of which there Are in some cases in order to be nearer the scene of action we will have our planes in any of the nato on possible French participation in his nato command outlaw observed no we have no plans for French participation other than the same co operation that we have gotten from the mover the past several months since i be been Here. We be had excellent cooperation with the French naval forces both air and surface. They be participated in our Nat exercises and they cooperate very Well indeed anytime we make a request or anytime we hold nato outlaw described surveillance activity by the russians in the Meriter Rani Aii As very in addition to overflights he referred to their Intel , Feyerherm rear adm outlaw an area of vital concern. Licence gathering ships in various parts of the and he said they usually join Upland follow our Large task groups around when they Are operating in the Mediterranean. So i would say that they have a very positive program of according to a briefing officer the soviet move into the med has All the earmarks of a concerted attempt toaster the balance of Power in this if it succeeds the soviets will Fin themselves entrenched in an area of vital concern to nato and we will be confronted with a totally different situation from that which we have know since the end of world War All of the nato surveillance aircraft it was pointed out Are equipped with electronic equipment which permit them to not Only scan vast Ocean areas but also to detect and follow up Russ ship shadows 6th Fleet Carrier. . Plane of keep Wajcs on soviet warships in the. Mediterranean 4, the stars and stripes Page 11
