Air Operations Center Explained

An Air Operations Center (AOC) is a type of command center used by the United States Air Force (USAF). It is the senior agency of the Air Force component commander to provide command and control of air operations.[1]

The United States Air Force employs two kinds of AOCs: regional AOCs utilizing the AN/USQ-163 Falconer weapon system that support geographic combatant commanders, and functional AOCs that support functional combatant commanders.[2] When there is more than one U.S. military service working in an AOC, such as when naval aviation from the U.S. Navy (USN) and/or the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) is incorporated, it is called a Joint Air Operations Center (JAOC). In cases of allied or coalition (multinational) operations in tandem with USAF or Joint air operations, the AOC is called a Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC).[1]

An AOC is the senior element of the Theater Air Control System (TACS). The Joint Force Commander (JFC) assigns a Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) to lead the AOC weapon system. If allied or coalition forces are part of the operation, the JFC and JFACC will be redesignated as the CFC and CFACC, respectively.

Quite often the Commander, Air Force Forces (COMAFFOR) is assigned the JFACC/CFACC position for planning and executing theater-wide air forces. If another service also provides a significant share of air forces, the Deputy JFACC/CFACC will typically be a senior flag officer from that service. For example, during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, when USAF combat air forces (CAF) and mobility air forces (MAF) integrated extensive USN and USMC sea-based and land-based aviation and Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy / Fleet Air Arm aviation, the CFACC was an aeronautically rated USAF lieutenant general, assisted by an aeronautically designated USN rear admiral (upper half) as the Deputy CFACC, and an aeronautically rated RAF air commodore as the Senior British Officer (Air).

Divisions

There are five divisions in the AOC. These separate, but distinct, organizations fuse information that eventually becomes the Air Tasking Order. Staffing of these divisions consists primarily of USAF officers of various specialities in the ranks of captain, major and lieutenant colonel, supported by a smaller cohort of enlisted airmen, typically in the rank of staff sergeant and above. When conducting joint air operations, U.S. Army and USMC officers of similar rank and USN officers in the ranks of lieutenant, lieutenant commander and commander will also provide augmentative manning as required, the majority of whom will be aeronautically rated/aeronautically designated. Senior leadership oversight of the AOC is provided by USAF colonels and general officers and USN captains and flag officers.

Strategy Division (SRD)

Combat Plans Division (CPD)

Combat Operations Division (COD)

Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Division (ISRD)

Air Mobility Division (AMD)

Active Air Operations Centers

List of Active US Air Force Air Operations Centers!Name!Emblem!Location!Country!Major Command!Parent Organization!Unified Combat Command!Type!Role
601st Air Operations CenterTyndall AFB, FloridaAir Combat CommandFirst Air Force (Air Forces Northern)US Northern CommandRegionalCommand and control for air defense, homeland security and civil support missions for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and US Northern Command across the Continental US, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.[3]
603rd Air Operations CenterRamstein ABUS Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces AfricaThird Air ForceUS European Command and US Africa CommandRegionalCommand and control of air operations in Europe and Africa.[4]
607th Air Operations CenterOsan Air BasePacific Air ForcesSeventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea)US Indo-Pacific CommandRegionalCommand and control of air operations in the Korean peninsula, supporting US Forces Korea.[5]
608th Air Operations CenterBarksdale AFB, LouisianaAir Force Global Strike CommandEighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic)US Strategic CommandFunctionalCommand and control of long-range strike missions.[6]
609th Air Operations CenterAl Udeid Air BaseAir Combat CommandNinth Air Force (Air Forces Central)US Central CommandRegionalAlso known as the Combined Air Operations Center, commands and controls the USAF operations from Northeast Africa across the Middle East to Central and South Asia.[7]
611th Air Operations CenterJoint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AlaskaPacific Air ForcesEleventh Air ForceUS Northern CommandRegionalCommand and control for the Alaskan Region of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), Alaskan Command and Eleventh Air Force within and surrounding Alaska.[8]
612th Air Operations CenterDavis Mothan AFB, ArizonaAir Combat CommandTwelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern)US Southern CommandRegionalCommand and control of USAF operations in the Caribbean, Central and South America.[9]
613th Air Operations CenterJoint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HawaiiPacific Air ForcesThirteenth Air ForceUS Indo-Pacific CommandRegionalCommand and control of USAF operations in the throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.[10]
616th Operations CenterJoint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TexasAir Combat CommandSixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber)US Cyber CommandFunctionalCommand and control of USAF worldwide intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance and cyberwarfare operations.
618th Air Operations CenterScott AFB, IllinoisAir Mobility CommandAir Mobility CommandUS Transportation CommandFunctionalAlso known as Tanker Airlift Control Center, it plans, schedules and directs airlift, air-refueling and aeromedical evacuation operations around the world.[11]
Combined Air Operations Center - ExperimentalJoint Base Langley–Eustis, VirginiaAir Combat CommandUS Air Force Warfare CenterN/ATest and evaluationTest bed for command and control systems. Operated by the 505th Command and Control Wing.[12]
Combined Air Operations Center - NellisNellis AFB, NevadaAir Combat CommandUS Air Force Warfare CenterN/ATrainingProvides command and control training to the US Military and coalition partners. Operated by the 505th Command and Control Wing.[13]

Inactive Air Operations Centers

List of Inactive US Air Force Air Operations Centers!Name!Emblem!Location!Country!Major Command!Named or Numbered Air Force!Unified Combat Command!Type!Role
614th Air Operations CenterVandenberg AFB, CaliforniaUnited States Space ForceSpace Operations CommandUS Space CommandFunctionalTransitioned to the US Space Force with the rest of Air Force Space Command on 20 December 2019.[14]
617th Air and Space Operations CenterRamstein ABUnited States Air Forces AfricaSeventeenth Air Force (Air Forces Africa)US Africa CommandRegionalOperational between 1 October 2008 and 1 October 2011. Merged with 603rd AOC.[15] [16]
623rd Air Operations CenterHurlburt Field, FloridaAir Force Special Operations CommandTwenty-Third Air Force (Air Forces Special Operations Forces)US Special Operations CommandFunctionalRe-designated as the Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center (AFSOAWC) on 11 February 2013. Provided command and control of special forces.[17]
624th Operations CenterJoint Base San Antonio, TexasAir Combat CommandSixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber)US Cyber CommandFunctionalMerged with 625th Operations Center to become 616th Operations Center in 2020.[18]
625th Operations CenterJoint Base San Antonio, TexasAir Combat CommandSixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber)US Cyber CommandFunctionalMerged with 624th Operations Center to become 616th Operations Center in 2020.

AOC-equipping Units

NATO CAOC

Since July 2013 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also uses the Combined Air Operations Centre concept at two locations (Torrejon, Spain and Uedem, Germany) with a deployable Air Operations Centre at Poggio Renatico, Italy. Previously, supporting the air component commands were 5 static Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) to direct NATO air operations: in Finderup, Denmark; Eskişehir, Turkey; Larissa, Greece; Torrejon, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal. There were 2 further CAOCs with a static as well as a deployable role; Uedem, Germany and Poggio Renatico. The static CAOCs can support Allied air operations from their fixed locations, while the deployable CAOC will move where they are needed.

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFDD1-2.pdf Air Force Doctrine Document 1-2, Air Force Glossary
  2. http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFDD2.pdf Air Force Doctrine Document 2, Operations and Organization
  3. Web site: 601st Air Operations Centre. 14 January 2015. CONR-1AF (AFNORTH). US Air Force. en-US. 26 April 2020.
  4. Web site: 603rd Air and Space Operations Centre – Fact Sheet. 15 March 2015. US Air Forces in Europe & Air Forces Africa. US Air Force. 26 April 2020.
  5. Web site: 607th Air Operations Center. Seventh Air Force. US Air Force. 26 April 2020.
  6. Web site: 608th Air Operations Center. Eighth Air Force. US Air Force. 26 April 2020.
  7. Web site: Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC). July 2017. US Air Forces Central Command. US Air Force. en-US. 26 April 2020.
  8. Web site: 611th Air Operations Center. Joint Base Elemendorf-Ricahrdson. US Air Force. en-US. 26 April 2020.
  9. Web site: 612th Air Operations Center. 1 February 2011. 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern). US Air Force. en-US. 26 April 2020.
  10. Web site: 613th Air Operations Center. 15 December 2014. Pacific Air Forces. US Air Force. en-US. 26 April 2020.
  11. Web site: About Us. 618th Air Operations Center. US Air Force. 26 April 2020.
  12. Web site: 605th TES tests next-gen weapons systems at Langley. Betit. 2nd Lt. Brooke. Brown. Senior Airman Jason J.. 13 August 2013. Air Combat Command. US Air Force. en-US. 28 April 2020.
  13. Web site: Nellis' Combined Air Operations Center doubles capacity. Air Combat Command. en-US. 2020-04-28.
  14. Web site: Departing Head of Space Ops Center Cites Importance of Cooperation with Allies. Hirsch, Steve. 4 June 2018. Air Force Magazine. 27 April 2020.
  15. Web site: Air Force merges two command and control units in Germany. Svan. Jennifer H.. 20 October 2011. Stars and Stripes. 28 April 2020.
  16. Web site: 617th Air and Space Operations Center activates at Ramstein. Fisher. Master Sgt. Jim. 2 June 2009. US Air Forces in Europe & Air Forces Africa. US Air Force. en-US. 28 April 2020.
  17. Web site: Air Force Special Operations Command 25th Anniversary Issue. June 2015. Hurlburt Chapter #398 – Air Force Association. 10. 26 April 2020.
  18. Web site: Singleton . Sharon . 2020-03-19 . Air Force Information Warfare's new warfighting unit activates . 2022-09-07 . . en-US.
  19. Web site: Home . 102iw.ang.af.mil.
  20. Web site: Home . 103aw.ang.af.mil.
  21. Web site: 112d Air Operations Squadron Homepage . 14 February 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070929221343/http://www.112aos.org/ . 29 September 2007 . dead .
  22. http://dmna.state.ny.us/ang/152.html NYANG – 152d AOG Homepage
  23. http://www.afreserve.com/news_archive.asp?id=444 Air Force Reserve News

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