Combined Air Operations Centre Finderup (

CAOC Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) are multinational headquarters for tactical and operational control of NATO Air Forces below the Joint Force Command level''. They operate within the NATO Integrated Air Defense System (NATINADS) framework. ...

Finderup) was located on the

Jutland peninsula Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

, approximately 20 km west of Viborg in the middle of the Finderup military training area in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. It was part of NATO's Air Policing mission and was responsible of the airspace around Iceland, Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Under the

NATO Integrated Air Defence System The NATO Integrated Air Defense System (short: NATINADS) is a command and control network combining radars and other facilities spread throughout the NATO alliance's air defence forces. It formed in the mid-1950s and became operational in 1962 as ...

(

NATINADS The NATO Integrated Air Defense System (short: NATINADS) is a command and control network combining radars and other facilities spread throughout the NATO alliance's air defence forces. It formed in the mid-1950s and became operational in 1962 as ...

) concept, resources are allocated by nations to NATO for the purpose of Air Defence in peacetime. At the end of June 2013 the CAOC was deactivated and responsibility for its Air Policing Area was passed to Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem (CAOC Uedem) in Germany under the new NATO Force Structure.

History

The bunker which houses CAOC Finderup was built between 1977 and 1985 as the wartime headquarters for NATO's

Allied Forces Baltic Approaches Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) was a Principal Subordinate Command (PSC) of the NATO Military Command Structure, with responsibility for the Baltic Sea area. It was in existence from 1962 to 2002 and consisted of the Danish Armed Forces ...

(BALTAP). At the end of

the Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term ''cold war'' is used because the ...

, BALTAP was disbanded but a new command was activated as is subordinate air agency: Interim Combined Air Operations Centre No 1. NATO established 10 ICAOCs in all, roughly along national borders. In 2008 the 4 CAOCs in Norway, Denmark and the UK combined at CAOC Finderup, creating a much larger AOR it became the home of Interim CAOC1, which later became CAOC Finderup.

Daily Operations

The primary task for CAOC Finderup is to conduct 24/7 Air Policing within its assigned Air Policing Area (APA) in peacetime. In case of crisis and wartime, the CAOC is tasked to be prepared to operate to its full capability at its Crisis Establishment or to augment another CAOC under the Joint Force Air Component (JFAC) concept.

Crest

The crest for CAOC Finderup has, at its centre, the sword of the Air Component Command Ramstein. To the left and right of this protective sword are the nations of

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

, within whose airspace all NATO air activities are the responsibility of CAOC Finderup. Three aircraft tracks merge into one to symbolize the amalgamation of former CAOC 1 (Finderup, Denmark), CAOC 3 (Reitan, Norway) and CAOC 9 (High Wycombe, UK

RAF High Wycombe RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, situated in the village of Walters Ash, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. It houses Headquarters Air Command, and was originally designed to house RAF Bomber Command in the late 1930s ...

). The NATO crest is in the top right and in the top left 3 waves indicate the 3 seas surrounding the host nation, Denmark.CAOC Finderup 1993-2013,

Support

The work of CAOC Finderup takes place in the bunker located at Operations Centre Finderup (OC Finderup). It is supported by a detachment of NCIA which is responsible for maintaining all telecommunication and information systems. Work is supported by the

Joint Host Nation Support Group A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

(JHNSG) which is responsible for real life support such as guarding, firefighting, catering and cleaning. In addition JHNSG are also responsible for administrating the NATO personnel in accordance with the

NATO Status of Forces Agreement The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two Nor ...

(SOFA).

Peacetime Manning and Future

CAOC Finderup has a peacetime establishment of 125 posts of which Host Nation Denmark provides the majority similar to other CAOCs. Under MOU arrangements five other NATO nations;

, the

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

contribute to the international community at Finderup. The commander's and deputy commander's positions are filled by Denmark and United Kingdom, respectively. At the end of June 2013 the CAOC will deactivate and responsibility for its Air Policing Area will pass to

CAOC Uedem Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) are multinational headquarters for tactical and operational control of NATO Air Forces below the Joint Force Command level''. They operate within the NATO Integrated Air Defense System (NATINADS) framework. ...

in Germany under the new NATO Force Structure.

References

CAOC Finderup 1993-2013
{{coord missing, Denmark Combined Air Operations Centres of NATO Military installations established in 2008 Military installations closed in 2013 Denmark and NATO