Brig. Gen. Roy Agustin, director of logistics, engineering and force protection for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, told Defense News in an interview published Monday that USAFE has invested in deployable air base systems for use in operations across its 104-nation theater.
He said an effort to procure DABS — a package of military shelters, vehicles and construction equipment — is still in the early stage and received initial funds in the current fiscal year.
“I see it more as the ability to be more agile in our basing,” he told the publication.
Agustin added the systems can support strategic positioning in a given geographic location to accelerate movement of forces who conduct humanitarian assistance efforts or address kinetic threats, as well as support mobility of troops who work with allies.
He noted that the strategy of placing DABS at Poland’s 31st Air Base, which is the location of the first DABS proof-of-concept exercise held from July 16 to Aug. 14, helped U.S. air forces deliver war reserve materiel they had from their site in the West – Luxembourg, Germany or the U.K. – to their base in Poland.