The CAOC Torrejón commemorates Bulgaria’s National Day

• The event was attended by the Bulgarian Ambassador to Spain

The NATO Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejón de Ardoz (CAOCT) marked Bulgaria’s National Day at a ceremony attended by the country’s ambassador to Spain, Todor Stoyanov.

The ambassador was received on his arrival by the Commander-in-Chief of the CAOCT, Lieutenant General Juan Pablo Sánchez de Lara, and subsequently joined the military ceremony.

In his speech, General Sánchez de Lara acknowledged Bulgaria’s role as a “vital contributor to the collective security effort” and also commended its dedication to enhancing its capabilities, not only in terms of technology and equipment, but also in its “commitment to the CAOC TJ Air Defence mission”.

For his part, Ambassador Stoyanov highlighted Bulgaria’s commitment to its participation in the Atlantic Alliance, as a key player in the defence and security of the Black Sea region. Finally, he concluded his address by thanking the other allied nations for their dedication to Bulgaria’s security.

The CAOCTJ has two permanent members from the Bulgarian Air Force, who are integrated into the international command structure.

On its national day, the Bulgarian people commemorate their independence, which was recognised with the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano on 3rd March 1878.

TORREJÓN JOINT AIR OPERATIONS CENTRE (NATO)

The CAOC Torrejón, under the direct command of a lieutenant general of the Spanish Air and Space Force, has as its primary mission to plan, direct, coordinate, supervise, analyse and report on air defence operations in Southern Europe, in accordance with the directives of the NATO Air Component Command to which it reports, and using the resources that member nations allocate to NATO in peacetime.

The Spanish Armed Forces make a significant contribution to the mission carried out by this centre. Some 120 Spanish military personnel serve both at the CAOC itself and within the National Support Element (NSE) and the NATO Communications and Information Agency Unit (NCIA).