| Combined Aerospace Operations Centre | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Canada |
| Branch |  Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Part of | 1 Canadian Air Division |
| Nickname | CAOC |
| Engagements | 2026 Iran war |
The Combined Aerospace Operations Centre is a Canadian military unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Combined Aerospace Operations Centre is currently attached to the 1 Canadian Air Division. In 2019, United States Air Force Brigadier-General Ed “Hertz” Vaughan implemented a new award for the CAOC known as the GRIT Award (Generous, Relentless, Innovative, Tough Award). According to Retired Major-General Denis Thompson, the CAOC has been providing intelligence support during the 2026 Iran war. According to a CBC News report citing the Canadian Department of National Defence's website, members of the CAOC were present at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during the Iranian attack. On 3 March 2026, Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty confirmed Canadian military presence in the Middle East and confirmed that they had not suffered any casualties. McGuinty also stated that the Canadian Armed Forces will “assess any potential impacts on CAF personnel in the region."
"Unless the Canadian government said, 'No, you cannot be directly engaged in this conflict,' then … typically, when we attach officers to another military and they go to war and the prime minister endorses this attack, then it's quite likely that they're actively engaged in the targeting process," Thompson told CBC News. He said Canada has members of three branches of the military — army, navy and air force —attached to CENTCOM and "we specifically have staff officers inside what's known as the Combined Aerospace Operations Center ... so, they are going to be directly involved in targeting."
The Department of National Defence website shows that as many as 18 military personnel with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are attached to Operation Foundation, working at the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and at the Combined Aerospace Operations Center (CAOC) at Al Udeid airbase in Qatar.