NATO’s Defence Attachés in Spain visit the Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón

• General Directorate for Defence Policy’s personnel also participated

Defence attaches from Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Romania visited NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Spain (CAOCT) this morning.

​Upon arrival, the delegation was welcomed by the Unit’s Commander, Lieutenant General Fernando de la Cruz. The General started the working began the working agenda with a presentation to the attaches on the centre’s capabilities and resources for the performance of its mission in the assigned area of responsibility, which reaches from the Azores to the Black Sea.

Subsequently, General de la Cruz accompanied the delegation to the centre's operations room, where several real incidents that occurred in the area of responsibility were shown. The procedures carried out by NATO in this type of situation were explained to them during the exhibition. The working agenda concluded with a visit to the bunker, where its capabilities were explained to the attaches.

The attachés exchanged views views with their national representatives in the CAOC before concluding the visit.

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).