eAirC2 and the Sovereignty of Execution

As NATO modernizes coalition air command and control through the Enhanced Air Command and Control (eAirC2) initiative, interoperability alone is no longer sufficient. This white paper argues that while shared operational data improves situational awareness and accelerates decision-making, coalition command systems must also preserve sovereign execution authority at the moment actions are taken. The paper explores how national caveats, transfer-of-authority rules, mission restrictions, and changing operational conditions require command systems to validate authority before execution. It concludes that future coalition C2 platforms must ensure every action remains legally authorized, force-specific, current, and accountable without compromising interoperability or national sovereignty.