83:
17:
75:
400:
was tasked with ensuring that the approach, coastal, and entrance channels to
Belgian and Netherlands' ports were always open for allied shipping. As ACCHAN's other two sub-commands PLYMCHAN (Plymouth Sub-Area Channel Command) and NORECHAN (The Nore Sub-Area Channel Command) defended the direct
717:
Standing Naval Force
Channel (STANAVFORCHAN), activated on May 11, 1973 as an active mine countermeasure squadron directly under the command of CINCHAN. The squadron was tasked with the protection of the English Channel and the Southern North Sea. STANAVFORCHAN consisted of seven to nine mine
734:, which were assigned to the squadron for either six or twelve months. The command of the squadron rotated between the participating countries, with the exception of Germany. As the squadron had no homeport it spent most time afloat or on port visits in allied nations.
395:
While the commander of BENECHAN was always the commanding admiral of the larger and more powerful
Netherlands naval forces-at-home, Belgium's Commander Naval Operations served as the BENECHAN's Chief of Staff. The combined Dutch and Belgian staff at Den Helder in the
741:
and allied cooperation to ensure that in case of war the four allied nations would be able to defuse Soviet mines dropped by airplane or submarine in their area of operations rapidly. In 2000-01 STANAVFORCHAN changed name and composition when the
387:
under ACCHAN. BENECHAN was one of ACCHAN's three naval sub-commands. BENECHAN's area of operation comprised a large portion of the southern part of the North Sea and would command the entire
Belgian Naval Force as well as the Home Fleet of the
1078:
226:
became CINCCHAN. On 1 July 1994, the
Channel Command was disestablished: however most of its subordinate commands remained in existence although reshuffled: most of the headquarters were absorbed within
911:
937:
235:. A Channel Committee consisting of the naval Chiefs-of-Staff of Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom served as an advisory and consultative body to the Commander-in-Chief, Channel.
1083:
436:
free of naval mines. To increase interoperability and to have a quickly deployable force ACCHAN included the
Standing Naval Force Channel (STANAVFORCHAN), which consisted of seven to nine
318:
submarines from entering the
Western side of the channel. Therefore, PLYMCHAN had a large number of anti-submarine warships at its disposal, which would operate where Channel and
497:
In case of war the following units would be under MAIRCHAN. Allied reinforcements flying from bases or operating in the area of MAIRCHAN would also have come under its control:
420:
Therefore, the
Belgian Naval Force fielded a large number of minesweepers and minehunters. As American reinforcements, crucial to defeat a Soviet advance towards the
294:
267:
915:
754:
228:
175:
662:
621:
611:
171:
648:, Plymouth, doubled as Commander Maritime Air Central Sub-Area (MAIRCENTLANT) and Commander Maritime Air Plymouth Sub-Area Channel (AIRPLYMCHAN)
335:
1012:
811:
1046:
941:
753:
From 3 September 2001 it was known as the Mine
Countermeasures Force North Western Europe (MCMFORNORTH) and from 1 January 2005 it became
197:
1056:
670:
581:
519:
491:
232:
179:
91:
536:, doubled as Commander Maritime Air Northern Sub-Area (MAIRNORLANT) and Commander Maritime Air Nore Sub-Area Channel (AIRNORECHAN)
374:
778:
830:
402:
95:
331:
193:
187:
515:
314:. As the Eastern approaches to the English Channel were defended by NORECHAN and BENECHAN, PLYMCHAN's task was to prevent
99:
627:
361:
354:
327:
287:
263:
645:
380:
307:
346:
82:
674:
487:
223:
204:
170:
The
Commander-in-Chief, Allied Command Channel (CINCHAN) was a British admiral, who reported directly to the
705:
279:
964:
16:
1029:
987:
727:
552:
507:
472:
389:
216:
118:
339:
413:, the main risk for allied shipping in the BENECHAN area of operations were air and submarine dropped
804:
Nuclear Command and Control in NATO: Nuclear Weapons Operations and the Strategy of Flexible Response
747:
605:
564:
558:
544:
529:
271:
125:
656:
599:
591:
681:
577:
255:
ship and submarines passing through the Northern North Sea toward allied shipping routes in the
1052:
1008:
807:
743:
405:'s German-Danish Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches Command (COMNAVBALTAP) kept the Soviet
631:
502:
483:
244:
401:
approaches to the Belgian and Dutch coast via the English channel and the North Sea and as
38:
The Command was established in 1952 to defend the sea areas and allied shipping around the
35:) commands from 1952 to 1994. Commander-in-Chief Channel was a Major NATO Commander (MNC).
965:"Command in NATO After the Cold War: Alliance, National, and Multinational Considerations"
883:
595:
585:
572:
548:
476:
456:
433:
278:
in Scotland, who was already double-hatted as commander of Northern Sub-Area (NORLANT) of
256:
39:
855:
615:
319:
266:. After the Royal Navy disestablished that post in 1961, the NORECHAN commander became
50:, would have passed through the English Channel and disembarked mainly in the ports of
1072:
834:
651:
326:, which was not integrated into NATO's command structures. In 1969 the positions of
207:(CINCFLEET) (who doubled as NATO Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic (CINCEASTLANT))
738:
731:
437:
406:
58:. Therefore, ACCHAN's area of operations included most of the Southern part of the
379:
In case of war the entire Belgian naval combat force would have come under NATO's
154:
Maritime Air Plymouth Sub-Area Channel (AIRPLYMCHAN), in Plymouth, United Kingdom
723:
539:
479:
445:
414:
397:
323:
315:
252:
143:
43:
486:. He was also the Commander Maritime Air Eastern Atlantic (MAIREASTLANT) under
74:
46:, United States reinforcements, crucial to defeat a Soviet advance towards the
719:
460:
441:
410:
384:
260:
212:
151:
Maritime Air Nore Sub-Area Channel (AIRNORECHAN), in Pitreavie, United Kingdom
139:
63:
856:"Chapter 7 - The Military Structure - Channel Command and Channel Committee"
429:
219:, where the Western Fleet / Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic was based.
59:
55:
914:. Allied Maritime Component Command Headquarters Northwood. Archived from
148:
Allied Maritime Air Force Channel (AIRCHAN), in Northwood, United Kingdom
452:
311:
132:
107:
306:
The Plymouth Sub-Area Channel Command (PLYMCHAN) was a command based at
425:
174:'s Standing Group and was identified as a "Major NATO Commander" (like
51:
1048:
International Order at Sea: How it is challenged. How it is maintained
702:
533:
275:
243:
The Nore Sub-Area Channel Command (NORECHAN) was a command based at
421:
81:
73:
47:
15:
349:(CENTLANT). Therefore, the following command structure resulted:
891:
863:
511:
375:
Structure of the Belgian Armed Forces in 1989 § Naval Force
343:
248:
87:
32:
687:
No. 321 Squadron MLD with 6x P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft
282:(ACLANT). Therefore, the following command structure resulted:
94:
and Allied Command Channel, as well as the naval commands of
31:) was one of three major North Atlantic Treaty Organization (
1079:
Formations of the NATO Military Command Structure 1952–1994
1034:(Thesis). Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School.
992:(Thesis). Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School.
690:
Training Flight with 1x P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft
471:
Allied Maritime Air Force Command (MAIRCHAN) was based at
432:, the Belgians fielded 10 inshore minesweeper to keep the
779:"The Evolution of NATO's Command Structure, 1951-2009"
701:
Note 1: Unit had a nuclear strike role and had twelve
455:
BENECHAN became the Dutch-Belgian bi-national command
322:
intersect. PLYMCHAN would have operated alongside the
338:(CINCNAVHOME) and command of PLYMCHAN passed to the
159:
Standing Naval Force Channel (STANAVFORCHAN), afloat
967:. U.S. Army Strategic Studies Institute. p. 11
490:(CINCEASTLANT), which was a command subordinate to
448:, Royal Netherlands Navy and Belgian Naval Force.
1084:Military units and formations established in 1952
424:, would have disembarked mainly in the ports of
912:"History of SNMMG1 (formerly MCMFORNORTH])"
259:. Originally the commander of NORECHAN was the
211:Allied Command Channel was based initially at
383:(BENECHAN), a joint Dutch-Belgian command in
182:(SACLANT). CINCHAN double hatted as follows:
8:
295:Flag Officer Scotland & Northern Ireland
268:Flag Officer Scotland & Northern Ireland
1045:Bekkevold, Jo Inge; Till, Geoffrey (2016).
806:. London: MacMillan Press. pp. 60–61.
772:
770:
78:Structure of Allied Command Channel in 1989
755:Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1
364:/ Commander CENTLANT / Commander PLYMCHAN
131:Plymouth Sub-Area Channel (PLYMCHAN), in
608:, (Maritime attack, 16x Buccaneer S.2B )
297:/ Commander NORECHAN / Commander NORLANT
138:Benelux Sub-Area Channel (BENECHAN), in
766:
663:No. 236 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
624:, (Maritime attack, 16x Buccaneer S.2B)
622:No. 237 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
612:No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
1003:Isby, D. C.; Kamps Jr., C. T. (1985).
825:
823:
336:Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command
963:Young, Thomas-Durrell (1 June 1997).
940:. Ministry of Defence. Archived from
124:Nore Sub-Area Channel (NORECHAN), in
7:
110:ACCHAN had the following structure:
1051:. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 136.
888:NATO the first five years 1949-1954
860:NATO the first five years 1949-1954
737:STANAVFORCHAN continuously trained
659:, (Maritime patrol, 8x Nimrod MR.2)
567:, (Maritime patrol, 8x Nimrod MR.2)
561:, (Maritime patrol, 8x Nimrod MR.2)
215:, but in 1966 the command moved to
198:Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic
671:Netherlands Naval Aviation Service
582:Airborne early warning and control
14:
520:Allied Maritime Air Force Channel
492:Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
467:Allied Maritime Air Force Channel
302:Plymouth Sub-Area Channel Command
251:. NORECHAN's task was to prevent
233:Allied Forces Northwestern Europe
180:Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
92:Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
62:and all of the Channel up to the
718:countermeasure vessels from the
381:Benelux Sub-Area Channel Command
369:Benelux Sub-Area Channel Command
231:particularly as part of the new
1007:. London: Jane's. p. 313.
938:"History of the Northwood site"
833:. 25 March 1993. Archived from
518:(COMAIREASTLANT) and Commander
96:Allied Forces Baltic Approaches
1005:Armies of NATO's Central Front
332:Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
188:Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
1:
1028:Mooney, Thomas (March 1979).
986:Mooney, Thomas (March 1979).
680:No. 320 Squadron MLD with 6x
516:Maritime Air Eastern Atlantic
239:Nore Sub-Area Channel Command
192:1966-1971 Commander-in-Chief
100:Allied Forces Southern Europe
713:Standing Naval Force Channel
628:No. 48 Squadron RAF Regiment
355:Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
342:, who also double hatted as
328:Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
288:Commander-in-Chief, The Nore
264:Commander-in-Chief, The Nore
1100:
475:and its commander was the
372:
347:Commander Central Sub-Area
42:. In case of war with the
675:Valkenburg Naval Air Base
642:Maritime Air Region South
526:Maritime Air Region North
884:"Appendix 1 — Chronicle"
706:tactical nuclear weapons
684:maritime patrol aircraft
224:Commander-in-Chief Fleet
205:Commander-in-Chief Fleet
802:Gregory, Shaun (1996).
777:Pedlow, Dr. Gregory W.
503:No. 18 (Maritime) Group
484:No. 18 (Maritime) Group
280:Allied Command Atlantic
172:NATO Military Committee
750:joined the squadron.
728:Royal Netherlands Navy
508:Northwood Headquarters
488:CinC, Eastern Atlantic
473:Northwood Headquarters
390:Royal Netherlands Navy
115:Allied Command Channel
103:
79:
25:Allied Command Channel
21:
586:Avro Shackleton AEW.2
451:After the end of the
362:Flag Officer Plymouth
340:Flag Officer Plymouth
229:Allied Command Europe
196:(who doubled as NATO
194:British Western Fleet
85:
77:
19:
918:on 24 September 2008
748:Royal Norwegian Navy
606:No. 208 Squadron RAF
565:No. 206 Squadron RAF
559:No. 201 Squadron RAF
545:No. 120 Squadron RAF
530:RAF Pitreavie Castle
357:/ Commander PLYMCHAN
290:/ Commander NORECHAN
102:. (click to enlarge)
944:on 12 December 2012
732:Belgian Naval Force
657:No. 42 Squadron RAF
630:, (Air Defence, 8x
592:No. 12 Squadron RAF
438:mine countermeasure
245:HM Dockyard Chatham
20:ACCHAN coat of arms
665:, (3x Nimrod MR.2)
578:No. 8 Squadron RAF
409:bottled up in the
166:Commander-in-Chief
106:At the end of the
104:
80:
22:
1014:978-0-7106-0341-8
813:978-1-349-39607-8
744:Royal Danish Navy
709:
440:vessels from the
121:, United Kingdom
1091:
1063:
1062:
1042:
1036:
1035:
1031:The Belgian Navy
1025:
1019:
1018:
1000:
994:
993:
989:The Belgian Navy
983:
977:
976:
974:
972:
960:
954:
953:
951:
949:
934:
928:
927:
925:
923:
908:
902:
901:
899:
898:
880:
874:
873:
871:
870:
852:
846:
845:
843:
842:
827:
818:
817:
799:
793:
792:
790:
788:
783:
774:
700:
634:launch stations)
272:Pitreavie Castle
135:, United Kingdom
128:, United Kingdom
1099:
1098:
1094:
1093:
1092:
1090:
1089:
1088:
1069:
1068:
1067:
1066:
1059:
1044:
1043:
1039:
1027:
1026:
1022:
1015:
1002:
1001:
997:
985:
984:
980:
970:
968:
962:
961:
957:
947:
945:
936:
935:
931:
921:
919:
910:
909:
905:
896:
894:
882:
881:
877:
868:
866:
854:
853:
849:
840:
838:
831:"NATO Handbook"
829:
828:
821:
814:
801:
800:
796:
786:
784:
781:
776:
775:
768:
763:
715:
646:Admiralty House
596:Maritime attack
573:RAF Lossiemouth
549:Maritime patrol
477:Royal Air Force
469:
457:Admiral Benelux
434:Western Scheldt
377:
371:
334:were merged as
308:Admiralty House
304:
257:English Channel
241:
200:(CINCEASTLANT))
168:
72:
40:English Channel
12:
11:
5:
1097:
1095:
1087:
1086:
1081:
1071:
1070:
1065:
1064:
1058:978-1137586629
1057:
1037:
1020:
1013:
995:
978:
955:
929:
903:
875:
847:
819:
812:
794:
765:
764:
762:
759:
739:mine clearance
714:
711:
698:
697:
696:
695:
694:
693:
692:
691:
688:
685:
677:, Netherlands
668:
667:
666:
660:
639:
638:
637:
636:
635:
625:
619:
609:
603:
600:Buccaneer S.2B
589:
570:
569:
568:
562:
556:
468:
465:
370:
367:
366:
365:
358:
320:Atlantic Ocean
303:
300:
299:
298:
291:
240:
237:
209:
208:
201:
190:
167:
164:
163:
162:
161:
160:
157:
156:
155:
152:
146:
136:
129:
71:
68:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1096:
1085:
1082:
1080:
1077:
1076:
1074:
1060:
1054:
1050:
1049:
1041:
1038:
1033:
1032:
1024:
1021:
1016:
1010:
1006:
999:
996:
991:
990:
982:
979:
966:
959:
956:
943:
939:
933:
930:
917:
913:
907:
904:
893:
889:
885:
879:
876:
865:
861:
857:
851:
848:
837:on 2016-06-11
836:
832:
826:
824:
820:
815:
809:
805:
798:
795:
780:
773:
771:
767:
760:
758:
756:
751:
749:
745:
740:
735:
733:
729:
725:
721:
712:
710:
707:
704:
689:
686:
683:
679:
678:
676:
672:
669:
664:
661:
658:
655:
654:
653:
652:RAF St Mawgan
650:
649:
647:
643:
640:
633:
629:
626:
623:
620:
617:
613:
610:
607:
604:
601:
597:
593:
590:
587:
583:
579:
576:
575:
574:
571:
566:
563:
560:
557:
554:
550:
546:
543:
542:
541:
538:
537:
535:
531:
527:
524:
523:
522:(COMAIRCHAN)
521:
517:
513:
510:, doubled as
509:
505:
504:
500:
499:
498:
495:
493:
489:
485:
481:
478:
474:
466:
464:
462:
458:
454:
449:
447:
443:
439:
435:
431:
427:
423:
418:
416:
412:
408:
404:
399:
393:
391:
386:
382:
376:
368:
363:
359:
356:
352:
351:
350:
348:
345:
341:
337:
333:
329:
325:
321:
317:
313:
309:
301:
296:
292:
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283:
281:
277:
273:
269:
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262:
258:
254:
250:
246:
238:
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234:
230:
225:
220:
218:
214:
206:
202:
199:
195:
191:
189:
185:
184:
183:
181:
177:
173:
165:
158:
153:
150:
149:
147:
145:
141:
137:
134:
130:
127:
123:
122:
120:
117:(ACCHAN), in
116:
113:
112:
111:
109:
101:
97:
93:
89:
84:
76:
69:
67:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
36:
34:
30:
26:
18:
1047:
1040:
1030:
1023:
1004:
998:
988:
981:
969:. Retrieved
958:
946:. Retrieved
942:the original
932:
920:. Retrieved
916:the original
906:
895:. Retrieved
887:
878:
867:. Retrieved
859:
850:
839:. Retrieved
835:the original
803:
797:
785:. Retrieved
752:
736:
716:
699:
641:
616:Jaguar GR.1A
525:
501:
496:
470:
450:
419:
407:Baltic Fleet
394:
378:
305:
242:
221:
210:
169:
114:
105:
86:Subareas of
37:
28:
24:
23:
724:German Navy
553:Nimrod MR.2
540:RAF Kinloss
494:(SACLANT).
482:commanding
480:Air Marshal
446:German Navy
415:naval mines
398:Netherlands
324:French Navy
316:Soviet Navy
253:Soviet Navy
144:Netherlands
44:Warsaw Pact
1073:Categories
897:2008-09-03
869:2008-09-03
841:2016-04-24
761:References
720:Royal Navy
514:Commander
461:Den Helder
442:Royal Navy
411:Baltic Sea
385:Den Helder
373:See also:
360:1969-1994
353:1952-1969
293:1961-1994
286:1952-1961
261:Royal Navy
213:Portsmouth
203:1971-1994
186:1952-1966
140:Den Helder
64:Celtic Sea
682:P-3 Orion
430:Rotterdam
217:Northwood
126:Pitreavie
119:Northwood
70:Structure
60:North Sea
56:Rotterdam
971:26 April
948:25 April
787:24 April
453:Cold War
312:Plymouth
222:In 1971
133:Plymouth
108:Cold War
614:, (16x
426:Antwerp
52:Antwerp
1055:
1011:
922:29 May
810:
703:WE.177
632:Rapier
598:, 16x
584:, 12x
534:Rosyth
403:BALTAP
276:Rosyth
176:SACEUR
29:ACCHAN
782:(PDF)
551:, 8x
422:Rhine
48:Rhine
1053:ISBN
1009:ISBN
973:2016
950:2016
924:2008
892:NATO
864:NATO
808:ISBN
789:2016
746:and
730:and
512:NATO
428:and
344:NATO
330:and
249:Kent
178:and
98:and
88:NATO
54:and
33:NATO
594:, (
580:, (
547:, (
459:in
310:in
274:in
270:at
247:in
90:'s
1075::
890:.
886:.
862:.
858:.
822:^
769:^
757:.
726:,
722:,
673:,
644:,
532:,
528:,
506:,
463:.
444:,
417:.
392:.
142:,
66:.
1061:.
1017:.
975:.
952:.
926:.
900:.
872:.
844:.
816:.
791:.
708:.
618:)
602:)
588:)
555:)
27:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
