Combined Air Operations Centre celebrates France’s National Day

• The ceremony was attended by a delegation from the French embassy to Spain, headed by the Consul General

The French Consul General in Madrid, Marie-Christine Lang, accompanied by the Air Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Sebastien Latre, visited the NATO Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC-TJ).

Upon arrival at the CAOC’s operations building, the delegation was received by the Unit Commander, Lieutenant General Fernando de la Cruz.

After a short briefing, French Lieutenant Colonel Manuel Domínguez, CAOC’s public information officer, explained the mission and capabilities of the centre. Afterwards, the operations room was visited, where the delegation verified how NATO operates in the event of incidents in the area of responsibility, as well as the coordination of the resources available to the CAOC to deal with these situations.

Then, the military ceremony to commemorate France's National Day took place with the traditional flag hoisting.

In his speech, General De la Cruz conveyed his gratitude to the French consul for his country's commitment to fulfilling the air surveillance mission in the area of responsibility, making the necessary resources available to the Alliance to guarantee said mission.

The French consul thanked the ceremony and the commitment and dedication of CAOC’s personnel providing security, guaranteeing the prosperity of the allies.

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).