TORREJON, Spain - From February 27 to March 3, Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Torrejon executed its internal training exercise Torrejon Advantage. The CAOC’s peacetime role is to manage NATO Air Policing and to provide personnel augmentation for a scalable Joint Force Air Component for Allied air operations. One goal of the Torrejon Advantage is to prepare personnel to be effective across a wide range of NATO missions.

 

During Torrejon Advantage the CAOC used small computer-assisted joint, air heavy scenarios to train and test operational and tactical command and control tasks. The exercise was set up in two phases: the preparatory planning in early February where the focus was on Combat Plans Division training, and the execution phase from February 27 to March 3 that challenged the Combat Operations Division staff. During planning, a so-called Air Tasking Order (ATO) was drafted based on the Commander’s intent and directions. During execution, this ATO has to be implemented with available air resources while the objectives for an operation have to be accomplished.

 

Participants from Allied Air Command, the sister CAOC at Uedem, Germany, the Spanish Air Force and Army, and the Hungarian Air Force also benefited from the exercise. Last year the Torrejon Advantage exercise series provided effective training for a total of 236 positions over 60 days.

 

Besides training and preparing its staff, CAOC Torrejon constantly continues to execute its 24/7 mission of ensuring tactical control for NATO Air Policing assets south of the Alps. The CAOC is an important cogwheel in this collective Allied mission ensuring safety and integrity of Alliance airspace.

 

Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office based on information provided by Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejon