A United States Air Force E-3 Sentry deployed to Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany in early June 2017 to take part in Exercise BALTOPS 2017. The aircraft - E-3C 83-0009 - has been deployed by the 513th Air Control Group, which is the Air Reserve Component of the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB. It is the first time in nearly twenty years that a US Air Force E-3 has flown in a NATO exercise - although E-3s operated by the RAF and the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force (also based at Geilenkirchen) are regular participants.