The Foundation Stone Has Been Laid

“The SAC Hangar Complex is the next step for the Strategic Airlift Capability on our way to becoming an even more world class organization. The new facilities will be much more modern than the current interim ones we are using: they will be equipped with a much faster IT Infrastructure, green utilities and have all SAC units located closer to each another, making communication easier. Also the maintenance of our aircraft will be faster resulting in their availability to the 12 SAC nations being even better than now", the commander said. The prescribed overhauls of the C–17 Globemaster III cargo jets are currently carried out in the United States of America.

In his speech, NATO Airlift Management Programme Manager Mr. Wiek Noldus emphasized that „this construction is a very strong commitment, a commitment of 12 nations to maintain the SAC program for at least 25 more years".

“Our host nation, Hungary has already invested into improved facilities on-base and we are following very closely the encouraging developments that might result in further investments within and outside of the base, such as the development of Road 83, which will strongly support the use of Pápa Air Base more as a multimodal transport hub."

The SAC Hangar Complex will consist of an aircraft maintenance hangar, maintenance facilities and an office building. The facilities with an area of approximately 20,000 square meters offer SAC modern permanent operating facilities that will house its functions for the program lifespan which is at least 30 years.

The SAC Hangar Complex construction work is contracted to the Hungarian KÉSZ Building and Construction Plc, which has some 1500 employees. This holding has constructed, among others, the SkyCourt terminal building at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport.

Photos by the author