The Portuguese ambassador to Spain participates in the military ceremony held at the CAOC Torrejón to commemorate Portugal's National Day.

• The diplomat was accompanied by his country's Defence Attaché and a delegation from the embassy.

The Combined Air Operations Centre of Torrejon (CAOC T) commemorated the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities with a military ceremony in which the traditional act of raising the Portuguese national flag took place.

The Portuguese Ambassador to Spain, João Mira-Gomes, accompanied by his Defence Attaché, Colonel Natalino Rodrigues Pereira and a delegation from the Portuguese Embassy, were received at the Torrejón Combined Air Operations Centre by Lieutenant General Sánchez de Lara.

During the ceremony, the authorities present addressed a few words to the personnel taking part in the military ceremony.

During his speech, Lieutenant General Sánchez de Lara thanked the Portuguese Ambassador for his participation in the ceremony. He expressed his gratitude for the solidarity shown by his nation with the contribution to the reinforced air surveillance mission in the Baltic States and other activities carried out by the CAOCT to guarantee the security of the airspace of the allied countries on the southern flank of Europe. 

The Portuguese Ambassador highlighted the work of the CAOCT in the permanent surveillance of the airspace of responsibility and the conduct of operations on the southern flank, especially in the current security context, and emphasised the need for a "collective 360º defence". He also referred to the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine, underlining the vitality and significance of the Alliance's response to this situation.

Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón (NATO)

The main mission of the Torrejón CAOC, under the direct command of a Lieutenant General of the Spanish Air and Space Army, is to plan, direct, coordinate, supervise, analyse and report on air defence operations in Southern Europe, following the directives of the NATO Air Component Command on which it depends and with the resources assigned to NATO by the nations in peacetime. 

The Spanish Armed Forces make an important contribution to the mission carried out by this centre. Some 120 Spanish military personnel serve in the CAOC itself as well as in the National Support Element (NSE) and the NATO Communications and Information Agency Unit (NCIA).