European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 5, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                One vp-8 Squadron member relieves another while air Crews perform pre flight checks on their Orion p-3  . Planes help nato Monitor bosnian arms embargo by Carlos Bongioanni staff writer any minute out of any Given Day at least one patrol plane from Nas Simonella in Sicily keeps watch Over the Adriatic sea. The planes half of which Are . Assets help support the United nations arms embargo against the former Yugoslavia. They do so by acting As extended eyes and ears for surface ships patrolling the Adriatic. And their flights Are continuing although they have been overshadowed by last week s bombing raid. Despite the nato attack the arms embargo is still going Strong. Nine nato nations Supply the maritime patrol aircraft used to detect sea going traffic in and around the Adriatic. The aircraft Survey the Region round the clock and relay their data to the tac support Center at Simonella. The Center or maritime air control authority As it is called in North Atlantic treaty organization operations evaluates the surveillance information and. Informs a nato s ships in the Adriatic of any sea traffic in the area. Quot the word is the embargo has been 100 percent effective Quot said cmdr. Rick Ryan the officer in charge of both the Center and the maritime air control authority at Simonella. The Center s command control and communications function gives air Crews pertinent information on upcoming missions. Besides providing safety and intelligence data it tells the flight Crews what the rules of engagement Are a for each Mission. In addition the support Center identifies other units in the area determining whether they re friends or foes. They also assist the Crews cmdr. Rick Ryan with any communication problems As Well As track each plane As it leaves from and returns to Simonella. Quot without a doubt this facility is busier than it Ever was. Before even during the cold War Quot said Ryan. Quot before the cold War ended we were tasked to support primarily . Missions maintaining surveillance of the soviet a _. A presence in the Mediterranean. Now 94-percent of our tasking is dedicated to  the nato ships in the Adriatic use the data from Simonella to track Down ships in the Region and to prevent All unauthorized shipping from entering the territorial Waters of the former Yugoslavia. To Date More than 58,600 ships have been challenged 4,513 have been inspected at sea and 2,045 have been diverted and _ inspected in  april 1993, no ship has broken the embargo. Six ships have been caught while attempting to do so according to a fact Sheet prepared by nato s Allied forces Southern Europe come in Naples Italy. Quot historically there s  a need for maritime patrol. We have a lot of capabilities Anjone package. We re the eyes and ears of the Fleet Quot Saiof Ryan. Quot we make the ships aware of what s out there earlier than they can see or detect with their shipboard  the maritime patrol aircraft used by nato can act not Only As surveillance planes As they do for current. Operations in the Adriatic but they can also perform Antisubmarine and anti surface ship warfare As Well As reconnaissance and drop mining missions. Depending on the need the Simonella Center determines which role the military patrol aircraft will play. Quot the Pace Here is a very High operational Tempo for. Peace time Quot noted Petty officer 1 St class cil Gregg who works in the Mission control evaluation div a continued on Page 9 a a tuesday september 5, 1995 the stars and stripes