The Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejón joins in commemorating Greece’s National Day

•  The event was attended by the new Greek ambassador

The NATO Combined Air Operations Centre, located in Torrejón de Ardoz (CAOCT), commemorated Greece’s National Day at a ceremony attended by the country’s ambassador to Spain, Apostolos Baltas.

The ambassador was received by Lieutenant General Juan Pablo Sánchez de Lara, Commander-in-Chief of the CAOCT, and both took part in the military ceremony.

In his speech, Lieutenant General Sánchez de Lara highlighted “Greece’s deep commitment, which resonates across our nations, as well as its example of solidarity and cohesion, which constitutes NATO’s secret recipe”.

For his part, Ambassador Baltas emphasised the importance of the Alliance’s mission, particularly in the current complex international context, and expressed his gratitude to CAOC T for its practical application of the nations’ commitment to common security.

CAOCT has a permanent contingent of 17 members of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF), integrated into the international command structure and the National Support Element (NSE).

TORREJÓN COMBINED 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).