Spanish CHOD presides over the celebration of Spain’s National Day at the Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón

• A large number of military and civil authorities and personnel from the 17 nations represented at this unit took part in the ceremony

Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón (CAOCTJ) conducted a military ceremony presided over by the Chief of Defence (JEMAD in Spanish), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, to commemorate  Spain’s National Day.

The event was attended, among other military authorities, by Lieutenant General Francisco González-Espresati Amián, (Head of the Combat Air  Command, MACOM in Spanish), Major General José Manuel Cuesta Casquero (Deputy Head of the Military Emergencies Unit, UME in Spanish) and Brigadier General Alfonso María Reyes Leis (Head of the Torrejón Air Base Group), as well as Lieutenant General Fernando de la Cruz, CAOCTJ’s Commander. The event was also attended by military and civilian personnel from the 17 nations that are represented at the unit.

The military ceremony, which started with the traditional raising of the flag, included the presentation of NATO awards to personnel of different nationalities, in recognition of their merits and career within the CAOCTJ.

During his speech, ESP CHOD had words of thanks for all the personnel participating in the celebration and congratulated the CAOCTJ’S members who received decorations in their different modalities. Admiral General stressed that the essential mission of the Spanish Armed Forces is to defend the democratic way of life in our country, freedom and constitutional values, and that Spain is a committed ally involved in collective defence, defending and sharing with its partners the same values that inspire our Constitution.

For his part, General de la Cruz also thanked the attendees for their presence and congratulated the members of the CAOCTJ who received the NATO awards. Lieutenant General highlighted the important contribution of Spain to NATO, as host nation, through the CAOC Torrejón. He valued the link between Spain and the countries of the Alliance and the commitment of the Spanish Armed Forces to the security of NATO's airspace, a commitment that is endorsed by the permanent work carried out on a daily basis by its components. 

Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón (NATO)

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 fulfil 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).