In mid-January, a Nordic air division was established at the Joint Air Operation Centre (JAOC) in Bodø, Norway. The division, led by Colonel Carl-Fredrik Edström from Sweden, consists of 13 officers from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. According to the Swedish Armed Forces, the purpose is to strengthen cooperation and create a capability where the Nordic countries can act as a unit in joint air operations.

– We have a very exciting and important task ahead of us. The security situation and expectations mean that we need to quickly get started with this work. We have inventoried Nordic activities that will develop the capability for distributed planning and management of joint Nordic operations, says Colonel Carl-Fredrik Edström in the Swedish Armed Forces' press release.

The division will work both from Bodø and remotely from their respective air force headquarters. Brigadier General Tron Strand, head of JAOC in Bodø, states in the Swedish Armed Forces' press release that the work has already resulted in an action plan to drive Nordic integration forward at a high pace.

The cooperation is based on four main areas: joint planning and management of air operations, coordinated development and use of air bases, improved joint situational awareness, and joint education, training, and exercises. The goal is to strengthen the overall operational capability and enable an effective transition to collective defense within the framework of NATO.