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 (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

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

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. 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 Combined may refer to: * Alpine combined (skiing), the combination of slalom and downhill skiing as a single event ** Super combined (skiing) * Nordic combined (skiing), the combination of cross country skiing and ski jumping as a single event * T ...

(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 was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, 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 a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

, 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 Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, 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 Royal Air Force High Wycombe or more simply 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 ...

). 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 (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 (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 lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

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 in Germany under the new NATO Force Structure.

References

CAOC Finderup 1993-2013
{{coord missing, Denmark Finderup Military installations established in 2008 Military installations closed in 2013 Denmark and NATO