The Norwegian government has decided to offer the Armed Forces base in Bodø (northern Norway) as a permanent location for NATO's Combined Air Operations Centre, CAOC.
According to a news release published by the Norwegian government on 19 December 2025, the decision is based on experiences from the temporary establishment of CAOC Bodø and further maturation of the project. CAOC Bodø was established in 2025 as a new regional air operations centre for NATO and was temporarily placed at the Armed Forces base in Bodø on 1 October 2025.
In the news, Norway's Minister of Defence, Tore O. Sandvik, comments on the decision.
– "CAOC Bodø is a clear expression of NATO's presence in the north. The decision regarding CAOC in the Bodø area stands firm," says Tore O. Sandvik, Norway's Minister of Defence, according to the news.
Furthermore, it is stated that experiences from the temporary solution show significant gains in both cost and time if the permanent location is established at the Armed Forces base in Bodø instead of at Reitan. The Chief of Defence has, in a new recommendation, pointed out the advantages of using the current temporary location as a permanent solution.
– "The Chief of Defence is clear in his new recommendation. He has described the advantages of using the temporary CAOC at the Armed Forces base in Bodø as a permanent CAOC, and this should form the basis for the continued work. Therefore, the government has concluded to offer this as a permanent location in the ongoing dialogue with NATO," says Sandvik in the news.
According to the source, CAOC Bodø is NATO's regional headquarters for the command and control of allied air forces in the High North. The air operations centre should be able to lead, plan, coordinate, and monitor air operations in peace, crisis, and conflict. CAOC Bodø is subordinate to NATO's command in Norfolk and is part of a joint network with air operations centres in Germany and Spain, which together monitor allied airspace around the clock.