NATO and Norway have inaugurated a new command centre for air operations in Bodø. The Combined Air Operations Centre Bodø (CAOC Bodø) enhances the alliance's capability to lead and coordinate air operations in the Arctic, the Nordkalotten, and other parts of the European NATO area.
The inauguration marks, according to NATO, a new step in increasing redundancy and operational control over the northern airspace. Major General Tron Strand simultaneously assumed the role of the first commander of CAOC Bodø.
– This centre is not just about buildings and technology. It is about the responsibility to keep the region safe, together with our allies, he says in a press release from the Norwegian Armed Forces.
Strand emphasised the importance of the personnel:
– The real strength of CAOC Bodø does not lie in the walls around us, but in the people who serve here.
The command centre constitutes NATO's third CAOC, complementing existing units in Uedem, Germany, and Torrejón, Spain. The three form a joint network that monitors and leads allied air activity across Europe. Together, they manage up to 30,000 flight movements per day.
According to NATO, the aim is to build in increased redundancy, enhance the ability to operate from multiple locations, and enable dispersed, multi-domain operations even in a complex security situation.
– Today we inaugurate a critical node for command and control, said Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, acting head of NATO Allied Air Command, at the ceremony and continues.
– NATO is very grateful to Norway for being the host nation for this capability in the High North.
Simultaneously, the responsibility for the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) readiness mission is transferred to CAOC Bodø. Norway has held this responsibility since 1961. The legacy is now taken over by Norwegian and allied F-35 pilots.
– CAOC Bodø is more than a building, it is a capability. An expression of allied unity, a symbol of NATO's presence in the north, and a cornerstone of our collective defence, said Vice Admiral Doug Perry, head of NATO Joint Force Command Norfolk.
CAOC Bodø is staffed with Norwegian personnel but will gradually expand with more tasks and functions. According to Major General Strand, the organisation will develop as NATO further develops its model for command centres:
– We will contribute to credible deterrence for the alliance. And we will be ready to fight if necessary.
The inauguration ceremony in Bodø gathered representatives from NATO, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The event included music from the Norwegian Air Force Band, a flyover with F-35s, and a guided tour of the facility.