The Permanent Representatives to the NATO’s North Atlantic Council visit the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC TJ)

• Dentro de su visita oficial a España, los Embajadores de los países miembros de la Alianza han querido conocer de primera mano el trabajo realizado desde el único centro de la estructura de la OTAN ubicado en España

Permanent members of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) visited the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre in Spain (CAOC TJ) this morning. The visit of the Ambassadorial delegation also included the participation of the Chair of the NATO Military Committee (CMC), Admiral Rob Bauer.

The delegation was welcomed upon arrival at the Torrejón airport by the Commander of the Unit, Lieutenant General Fernando de la Cruz along with a formation made up of representatives of each of the nations having personnel assigned to the CAOC Torrejón.

Next, General de la Cruz presented the centre’s capabilities and resources to carry out its mission in the assigned area of responsibility, which reaches from the Azores to the Black Sea. Later, General de la Cruz accompanied the delegation to the Centre’s operations room, where he showed the Ambassadors several real incidents that occurred in the area of responsibility, using them to explain the procedures carried out by NATO in these situations.

Before concluding the visit, the Ambassadors were able to exchange views with their national representatives at the CAOC. They have subsequently left the CAOC to continue their work visit to Spain.

North Atlantic Council (NAC)

The North Atlantic Council is the main political decision-making body within NATO, led by the Secretary General. It has its permanent headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. It oversees the political and military process related to security issues that affect the entire Alliance. It brings together representatives of each member country to discuss operational issues that require collective decisions, providing a forum for wide-ranging consultations among the permanent representatives on all issues that affect the peace and security of member countries.

Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón

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 following the directives of NATO's air component command with the assigned assets by NATO in peacetime.

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).