Combined Air Operations Centre celebrates Croatia’s National Day

• The ambassador underlined the importance of Allies collective defence, especially under the current global security context

El The Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón (CAOCT) hosted today, October 6, the celebration of the Croatian National Day. On the occasion of the commemoration, a military ceremony was carried out with the traditional raising of the country’s flag, which was attended by the Croatian ambassador to Spain, Nives Malenica, and a delegation from the embassy.

During the ceremony, the authorities addressed a few words to the personnel taking part in the event. Lieutenant General De la Cruz, Commander of the CAOCT, thanked the ambassador for her attendance at the ceremony and also conveyed his gratitude for Croatia's contribution to NATO's permanent air surveillance mission, a mission that guarantees the security of free citizens who share democratic values, as well as a firm commitment to peace.

The Croatian ambassador thanked General De la Cruz for the permanent surveillance tasks of Alliance's sovereign airspace carried out by the centre and, very especially, the additional effort assumed by CAOC personnel from the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine.

Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón

Under the organic command of Allied Air Command within the NATO command structure, CAOCs are responsible for planning, tasking, directing, coordinating and supervising air operations of aircraft assigned by member countries in their area of responsibility. The CAOC Uedem oversees areas such as Iceland and the Baltic Sea, and the CAOC in Torrejón is responsible for the Black Sea region; both CAOCs work with the corresponding national alert and control centres to fulfill the mission of safeguarding NATO airspace throughout Europe.

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).