Slovenian Defence Minister pays an official visit to Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón

• CAOC TJ's main mission is to plan, conduct, coordinate, supervise, analyse and report on air defence operations in southern Europe

The Minister for Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, Matej Tonin, accompanied by the Ambassador in Madrid, Robert Krmelj, and the Slovenian air attaché for Spain, Colonel Dean Groff, visited the facilities of the Torrejón Combined Air Operations Centre.

Upon arrival, the minister and his delegation were received by the CAOC Torrejón commander, Lieutenant General Fernando de la Cruz Caravaca.

After welcoming and signing the Unit's Book of Honour, the minister and his delegation were informed by the CAOC commander about the mission, structure, operational situation and legal framework for action in their area of responsibility.

Afterwards, the Slovenian delegation was able to see first-hand the work carried out by the Unit aiming the collective defence of the allied countries, by presenting various incidents that occurred in the CAOC's area of responsibility

CAOC TJ, under the direct command of a lieutenant general of the Spanish Air Force, has as its main mission to plan, conduct, 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 (AIRCOM).

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.