CAOC Torrejón Commander takes part in NATO's Air Chiefs Symposium and Commander’s Huddle

• The meeting addressed the challenges faced by the Alliance from an aviation and space perspective

Lieutenant general Fernando de la Cruz, Commander of Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón (CAOC TJ) atended NATO Air Chiefs' Symposium (NACS) meeting held at Ramstein AFB (Germany) from 10 to 12 March, where NATO and member countries' air authorities regularly discuss current issues from the air and space point of view, such as the challenges the Alliance faces in this field and the areas that allow greater cooperation and integration in order to counter them.

Following its conclusion, the Commander's Huddle took place today at Ramstein Air Base, which is also held regularly as a forum for meeting and open dialogue between the Commanding General of NATO Air Component Command Headquarters (Ramstein) and the commanding generals of the units belonging to the NATO command structure, These are the Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón (CAOC TJ), the Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem (CAOC UE, Germany) and the Deployable Air Command and Control Centre Poggio Renatico (DACCC, Italy).

The main purpose of CAOC Torrejón, commanded by a Spanish Air Force lieutenant general, is to plan, direct, coordinate, supervise, analyse and report on air defence operations in southern Europe, of the assigned assets to it in peace, following the directives of NATO's air component.

The Spanish Armed Forces are making an important contribution to the mission conducted by this facility. Roughly 120 military personnel are assigned to the CAOC itself, as well as to the National Support Element (NSE) and the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), which provides permanent support to CAOC-TJ.