The staff representing the 17 nations contributing to NATO's Southern CAOC led by the Commander, Lieutenant General Fernando de la Cruz Caravaca, marked this special event with a relay run in which teams cover a distance of 60 km.
With this run our staff members symbolise the cohesion and solidarity among the members of the Alliance and highlight the commitment to defending and protecting mutual interests and democratic values
"With this run our staff members symbolise the cohesion and solidarity among the members of the Alliance and highlight the commitment to defending and protecting mutual interests and democratic values," said Lieutenant General de la Cruz, who formed one relay team with the senior leadership of the CAOC during the run.
Members of Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón came together for a 60 kilometre relay run on September 23 to celebrate 60 years of Air Policing. Photo courtesy of CAOC Torrejón.
The long history of NATO airspace surveillance mission known as Air Policing has demonstrated collective security, deterrence and defence among the members of the Alliance.
This mission, essentially defensive, is carried out with radars, command and control units and fighter aircraft kept ready at the disposal of the Alliance to respond to any possible threat to Allied airspace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Since July 1, 1961, the members of the Alliance have been integrating their resources to provide coordinated, interconnected and collective Air Policing in NATO's area of responsibility in Europe. This permanent mission continuously adapts to its time with the goal of meeting the challenges of the future.
CAOC Torrejón, under the command of a Lieutenant General of the Spanish Air Force, has as its main mission to plan, direct, coordinate, supervise, analyse and report on Air Policing operations in Southern Europe, following the directives of NATO's Air Command in Ramstein with the means that the nations assign to the Alliance in peacetime.