German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung said NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was "very positive" about a suggestion that the military alliance could help protect the June 9-July 9 championships.

A NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said no official request had yet been made. But he said: "Once the Germans send a formal request, there will be no doubt that NATO will send the AWACS."

Easy deployment dependent on official request

Some 18 AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) planes are under NATO command stationed at a base in Geilenkirchen, western Germany, and could be easily deployed, according to a German press report earlier this month.

The eye-catching planes -- with a mushroom-shaped surveillance unit on their backs -- were used in 2004 for the Athens Olympics and the Euro-2004 football championships in Portugal, as well as for a papal visit to Cologne last year.