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NATO and Norway today marked the opening of the Combined Air Operations Centre Bodø, enhancing the Alliance’s ability to lead and coordinate air operations across the Nordic region, the Arctic, and across the Alliance.
The opening of this CAOC marks a new milestone in demonstrating NATO’s preparedness and unity.
The ceremony, attended by senior Norwegian, Finnish, and Swedish officials and NATO leadership, also marked the formal transfer of authority to Norwegian Major General Tron Strand, the first Commander of CAOC Bodø.
“Today, we inaugurate a critical and pivotal Command and Control node for further securing NATO Airspace,” Air Marshal Johnny Stringer said during the ceremony, Acting Commander of NATO Allied Air Command. “NATO is supremely grateful to the Norwegians for hosting this enhanced C2 capability in the High North.”
CAOC Bodø joins existing NATO CAOCs in Uedem, Germany, and Torrejón, Spain, providing an integrated, redundant command network for Allied air operations. Together, these CAOCs plan, direct and coordinate the activities of NATO Air Forces, monitoring up to 30,000 air movements across European NATO airspace each day.
The addition of a third CAOC in Bodø will enhance operational awareness in the High North and will build critical redundancy into NATO’s air command and control architecture, complementing the other two NATO CAOCs. Together, the three form a resilient network capable of ensuring continuous C2 across all operations. This structure enhances NATO’s ability to conduct dispersed air operations from multiple locations across the Alliance, ensuring flexibility, survivability, and seamless coordination in a complex and contested security environment.
CAOC Bodø will also inherent the Norwegian Quick Reaction Alert mission. Norway has safeguarded the Alliance’s northern skies continuously since 1961 through its QRA, intercepting and identifying unidentified aircraft to protect NATO airspace. With CAOC Bodø assuming ownership, Norwegian and Allied pilots flying F-35 Lightning II fighters will continue a proud legacy of vigilance that began with the F-86 Sabre more than six decades ago.
Although CAOC Bodø’s activation marks the initial phase of its operations, the CAOC is set to gradually assume additional missions and capabilities in the coming months and years.
“The mission task and our area of responsibility will continue to increase as the organization matures and grows,” said Strand, CAOC Bodø’s first commander. “CAOC Bodø will provide the necessary contributions to the future CAOC model. We will contribute credible deterrence for the Alliance, and we will be ready to fight if necessary.”
As NATO’s newest node in its C2 architecture, its establishment not only signifies innovation and transformation, but also further enables dispersed multi-domain operations across the Alliance’s 32-member nations, covering nearly 25 million square kilometers of NATO territory. Dispersed operations ensure flexibility, redundancy, and speed of response in any contingency or crisis.
Initially staffed mainly by Norwegian personnel, CAOC Bodø will grow in operational capability alongside CAOCs Uedem and Torrejón. Its activation will further enhance NATO’s readiness to conduct integrated multi-domain operations in the Arctic and High North, where agility, innovation and interoperability are increasingly critical in maintaining peace and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic region. This is of the utmost importance for NATO’s newest operational command, Joint Force Command Norfolk, whose operational responsibilities span from Florida to Finland, representing NATO’s largest area of responsibility.
“The opening of this CAOC marks a new milestone in demonstrating NATO’s preparedness and unity,” said Vice Admiral Doug Perry, Commander of Joint Force Command Norfolk, during the ceremony. “Alongside Norway and AIRCOM, our collective planning, integration, and readiness will continue to evolve and contribute to stability and security across Europe, the Atlantic, High North and Arctic. I am grateful to Norway for their earnest and deliberate efforts in pursuing this important capability,” he added.
A central element guiding JFC Norfolk’s work is the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area family of plans, with deterrence being at the heart of NATO’s strategy.
The opening ceremony in Bodø hosted senior NATO, Norwegian, Finnish, and Swedish leaders. The event featured music from the Royal Norwegian Air Force Orchestra, an opening film showcasing Allied Airpower in the North, and speeches from representatives of NATO, Norway, and local authorities. Speeches addressed the importance of robust C2 in the High North and for the Alliance. The ceremony concluded with a flag-raising, a flyover of a Norwegian F-35A Lightning II, and a tour of the new CAOC for invited guests.
