Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 8, 2026

Combined Air Operations Centre

Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) are multinational headquarters for tactical and operational control of NATO Air Forces below the Joint Force Command level. They operate within the NATO Integrated Air Defense System (NATINADS) framework.

Last revised
Jun 8, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
587 w
Citations
14
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Combined Air Operations Centres monitor airspace throughout Europe source ↗

Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) are multinational headquarters for tactical and operational control of NATO Air Forces below the Joint Force Command level. They operate within the NATO Integrated Air Defense System (NATINADS) framework.

Within the European NATO command structure they are subordinate to NATO's Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), and superior to Control and Reporting Centres, national airspace control centers and Regional Airspace Surveillance Coordination Centres (RASCC) such as BALTNET. NATO may also operate in Europe static and deployable CAOCs.

Predecessor organizations of the CAOC were Air Tactical Operations Centre (ATOC) and Air Defence Operations Centre (ADOC). Until 1980 the two HQs for air attack and air defence operated autonomously.

Active locations

Active NATO Combined Air Operations Centres
Designation Location Country Notes Ref.
CAOC ENBO Bodø Air Base Norway Responsible for operations in the High North 12
CAOC UE Uedem Germany Responsible for operations in Northern Europe, north of the Alps 3
CAOC TJ Torrejón Air Base Spain Responsible for operations in Southern Europe, south of the Alps 4
DACCC PR Poggio Renatico Air Base Italy Deployable Air Command and Control Centre 5

Former locations

Former NATO Combined Air Operations Centres
Designation Location Country Year deactivated Notes Ref.
CAOC 1 Finderup Denmark 2008 Replaced at same location by CAOC Finderup
CAOC 2 Uedem Germany 2008 Replaced at same location by Deployable CAOC Uedem Deployable 6
CAOC 3 Reitan Norway 2008 Responsibility transferred to CAOC Finderup
CAOC 4 Meßstetten Germany 2008 Responsibility transferred to CAOC Uedem
CAOC 5 Poggio Renatico Air Base Italy 2013 Replaced at same location by Deployable CAOC
CAOC 6 Eskişehir Turkey 2013 Responsibility transferred to CAOC Torrejón 7
CAOC 7 Larissa Greece 2013 Responsibility transferred to CAOC Torrejón 8
CAOC 8 Torrejón Air Base Spain 2013 Replaced at same location by CAOC Torrejón 9
CAOC 9 RAF High Wycombe United Kingdom 2008 Responsibility transferred to CAOC Finderup
CAOC 10 Lisbon Portugal 2013 Responsibility transferred to CAOC Torrejon 10
CAOC F Finderup Denmark 2013 Responsibility moved to CAOC Uedem 11
Balkans CAOC Vicenza Italy 2001 Controlled the 1999 NATO aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War12 13
DCAOC UD Uedem Germany 2013 Deployable CAOC Uedem, Replaced at same location by CAOC UD 14
References

References

  1. "Combined Air Operations Centre Bodø". ac.nato.int.
  2. Kai Greet (11 October 2025). "New Combined Air Operations Centre Opened by NATO in Norway". theaviationist.com.
  3. "Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem". ac.nato.int.
  4. "Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón". ac.nato.int.
  5. "Deployable Air Command and Control Centre". ac.nato.int.
  6. "NATO HQ Aircom" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  7. CAOC-6 Factsheet Archived June 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Allied Joint Force Command Naples Archived February 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. "NATO Update - Air Operations Centre in Spain - 28 June 2001". www.nato.int.
  10. "US Army NATO". Archived from the original on February 11, 2007.
  11. "NATO HQ Aircom | We're sorry" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  12. Gordon, Michael R. (13 May 1999). "Allied Air Chief Stresses Hitting Belgrade Sites". New York Times. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  13. "Combined Air Operations Center will move to new Italy location". May 22, 2001. Archived from the original on 2001-07-16. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  14. "CAOC 2: State-of-the-Art Engineering for more Security" Allied Air Component Command HQ Ramstein - Press Release Archived August 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
Further reading

Further reading

  • MILITÄRISCHES STUDIENGLOSAR ENGLISCH Teil I, A – K, Bundessprachenamt (Stand Januar 2001), page 309, definition: Combined Air Operations Centre [CAOC].