BERLIN/BRUSSELS, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The top commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan has requested more AWACS reconnaissance aircraft, an alliance official said on Saturday, although a likely demand for Germany to contribute will meet strong political opposition.
NATO headquarters in Brussels said it was looking into the request from General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. "A letter was sent and it’s being evaluated as to whether it can be filled," an official said, declining to be named.
"I know it’s been an item of interest for some time," the official said. "We do have AWACS in Afghanistan but we are looking for additional capability."
The request would be submitted to the council of NATO’s 28 member states before it could be passed on to a specific country.
A spokesman for the German defence ministry said it had yet to see any official correspondence. However, German news weekly Der Spiegel reported that increased AWACS capability would require Berlin to send about 100 additional troops to Afghanistan.
Germany’s deployment in Afghanistan is already unpopular with public opinion, and sending the unit to Afghanistan would require a new parliamentary mandate and financing.
