Just over the border in the south of the Netherlands is the NATO AWACS base situated, equipped with the conspicuous AWACS aircraft with their characteristic radar dish. The E-3A Sentry is the flagship of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), the E-3A Component is the world's only integrated, multi-national flying unit, providing rapid deployability, airborne surveillance, command, control and communication for NATO operations. This year 25 years of cooperation is reached, in which the members of the world’s only multinational operational flying unit pursue a common goal. On 16 & 17 June the Geilenkirchen Air Base celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the NATO E-3A Component with a large static aircrafs display. A impressive number of very rarely seen aircraft of most the NATO members where flown onto the German tarmac, a nice mix of fighters, bombers, helicopters and military transport aircraft where gathered. Absolute highlight on the static display was the massive B-52H Stratofortress flown in from it's homebase Barksdale AFB, Louisiana via RAF Fairford, United Kingdom. Most of the fighter and trainer squadrons where requested to send their most colourful variants available, and this request was certainly replied by most of the squadrons, with as highlights the A-7H from Greece in a very nice Tiger coat and the Alpha jet from Portugal in the "ASAS de Portugal" colours. Also the NATO itself showed how to give more colour to the normally complete grey E-3A Sentry, the LX-N90443 was painted in a stunning colourful 25th Anniversary scheme with all the flags of the member nations on both sides of the fuselage. On both days a temperature of +/- 20 Degrees was reached with the characterised Dutch blue sky with puffy white clouds as the perfect background, however where the arrivals and departures caractirised by showers and a dense cloud blanket. The static display had a great layout for photographing all details, or to photograph the aircraft completely in every angle. Special thanks goes to Display Coordinator Reiner Marie for the cooperation and assistance, and the NATO E-3A Component Public Relations for their hospitality.