The alliance is making much of this, so it does seem to warrant some analysis.
First, from the announcement, I can't tell who is flying them or whose planes they actually are. For a while, only the US had AWACs, then it made a limited market selling them to only the closest of allies. How many countries have the money (or are willing to spend it on this) and technicians to maintain these? I would bet that this excludes even most NATO countries.
Does NATO use mixed nationality crews on AWACs? Given the very top, top secret nature of that technology, I shouldn't be surprised if US people were always on board. I would bet US technicians serviced them.
Also, what is a NATO 'asset'? Could it be a US plane designated for European theater use through NATO? There might truly be a shortage of AWACs if the US wants to monitor everything going on around the ME and S. Asia, while keeping tabs on the usuals countries, like Iraq, Libya, and N. Korea (and perhaps even Columbia in the war against drugs--that's WAD).
Next, the propaganda value (the shortage of AWACs in NA notwithstanding). It seems to have as much propaganda value with Europeans as it does back home. It shows that the US is only one NATO member among many--as if to say NATO isn't really just a military alliance that is answerable exclusively to the wishes of the US national security state.
Perhaps Gen. Wesley Clarke will answer my questions on CNN tonight. Can't wait.
Charles Jannuzi