601st Air and Space Operations Center at Tyndall AFB, Florida
USAFCENT CAOC
An Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) is a type of command center used by the United States Air Force. It is the senior agency of the Air Force component commander to provide command and control of air and space operations.[1]
The US Air Force employs two kinds of AOCs: regional AOCs (the AN/USQ-163 Falconer) that support geographic combatant commanders, and functional AOCs that support functional combatant commanders.[2] When there is more than one military service working in an AOC, it is called a Joint Air and Space Operations Center (JAOC). In cases of allied or coalition (multinational) operations, the AOC is called a Combined Air and Space 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. Quite often the Commander, Air Force Forces (COMAFFOR) is assigned the JFACC position for planning and executing theater-wide air and space forces.
Divisions[]
There are five divisions in the AOC. These separate, but distinct, organizations fuse information that eventually becomes the Air Tasking Order.
Strategy Division (SRD)[]
- Strategy Plans Team
- Strategy Guidance Team
- Operational Assessment Team
- Information Operations Team
Combat Plans Division (CPD)[]
- Target Effects Team
- Master Air Attack Plan Team
- Air Tasking Order Production Team
- Command and Control Planning Team
Combat Operations Division (COD)[]
- Offensive Ops Team
- Defensive Ops Team
- Personnel Recovery
- Senior Intelligence Duty Officer
- Interface Control
- Weather Specialty Team
Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Division[]
- Analysis, Correlation, and Fusion
- Targeting and Tactical Assessment
- ISR Operations
Air Mobility Division (AMD)[]
- Commander's Support Staff (CCS)[3]
- AMD Chief
- Deputy AMD Chief
- Superintendent
- Air Mobility Control Team (AMDM)
- Execution Cell
- Mission Management
- Flight Management
- USAPAT Mission Planner
- Maintenance
- Airlift Control Team (AMDL)
- Airlift Plans
- DV Airlifts
- Diplomatic Clearance
- Requirements
- Air Refueling Control Team (AMDR)
- Aeromedical Evacuation Control Team (AMDA)
- Unique Missions Support Team (AMDU)
List of Air and Space Operations Centers[]
The table below lists the Air and Space Operations Centers currently in service in the US Air Force, the Numbered Air Force (NAF) and Major Command (MAJCOM) to which they are assigned, Unified Combatant Command they support, and where they are stationed.
Training/Experimentation[]
505th Command and Control Wing (AOC Formal Training Unit) - Hurlburt Field, Florida- Combined Air and Space Operations Center-Nellis (CAOC-N) - Nellis AFB, Nevada
- Combined Air Operations Center-Experimental (CAOC-X) - Langley AFB, Virginia
AOC-equipping Units[]
- 102d Air Operations Group - Cape Cod, Massachusetts (Massachusetts Air National Guard) [14]
- 103d Air Operations Group - East Granby, Connecticut (Connecticut Air National Guard) [15]
- 112th Air Operations Squadron - State College, Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Air National Guard)[16]
- 152d Air Operations Group - Syracuse, New York (New York Air National Guard)[17]
- 157th Air Operations Group - St Louis, Missouri (Missouri Air National Guard)
- 183rd Air Operations Squadron - Springfield, Illinois (Illinois Air National Guard)
- 217th Air Operations Group - Battle Creek ANGB, Michigan (Michigan Air National Guard)
- 701st Combat Operations Squadron - March ARB, California (Air Force Reserve)
- 710th Combat Operations Squadron - Langley AFB, Virginia (Air Force Reserve)[18]
NATO Air Operations Centres[]
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also uses the Combined Air Operations Centre concept at multiple locations. Supporting the air component commands are 5 static Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) to direct NATO air operations: in Finderup, Denmark; Eskisehir, Turkey; Larissa, Greece; Torrejon, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal. There are 2 further CAOCs with a static as well as a deployable role; Uedem, Germany and Poggio Renatico, Italy. The static CAOCs can support Allied air operations from their fixed locations, while the deployable CAOCs will move where they are needed.
Active AOCs[]
Shield of the CAOC-8-Torrejon (Spain)
- Combined Air Operations Centre Finderup (CAOC-F) - Finderup, Denmark[19]
- Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem (CAOC-U) - Uedem, Germany[20] (Deployable)
- Combined Air Operations Centre-5 (CAOC-5) - Poggio Renatico, Italy (Deployable)
- Combined Air Operations Centre-6 (CAOC-6) - Eskisehir, Turkey[21]
- Combined Air Operations Centre-7 (CAOC-7) - Larissa, Greece[22]
- Combined Air Operations Centre-8 (CAOC-8) - Torrejon, Spain[23]
- Combined Air Operations Centre-10 (CAOC-10) - Lisbon, Portugal[24]
Inactive AOCs[]
- CAOC 1 - Finderup, Denmark (Deactivated in 2008, replaced at same location by Combined Air Operations Centre Finderup)[19]
- CAOC 2 - Uedem, Germany (Deactivated in 2008, replaced at same location by Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem)[25]
- CAOC 3 - Reitan, Norway (Deactivated in 2008, responsibility moved to Combined Air Operations Centre Finderup)
- CAOC 4 - Meßstetten, Germany (Deactivated in 2008, responsibility moved to Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem) [26]
- CAOC 9 - RAF High Wycombe, United Kingdom (Deactivated in 2008, responsibility moved to Combined Air Operations Centre Finderup)
- Balkans Combined Air Operations Center - Vicenza, Italy (Deactivated in 2001)[27]
Future[]
NATO plans to rationalize its Force Structure further in 2013, which will see the number of CAOCs reduce to 2 (at Uedem and Torrejon) plus a Deployable AOC at Poggio Renatico.[28]
See also[]
- United States Air Force
- Theater Battle Management Core Systems
- Global Command and Control System
- Air Force Command and Control Integration Center
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Air Force Doctrine Document 1-2, Air Force Glossary. 11 January 2007. Accessed 29 January 2011.
- ↑ Air Force Doctrine Document 2, Operations and Organization. 3 April 2007. Accessed 29 January 2011.
- ↑ http://www.afcent.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=12153
- ↑ 601st Air and Space Operations Center factsheet
- ↑ 3rd Air Force - Units
- ↑ 7th Air Force - Units
- ↑ 8th Air Force - 608th AOC
- ↑ Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson - 11th Air Force
- ↑ Factsheets : 612th Air and Space Operations Center
- ↑ Factsheets : 613th Air and Space Operations Center
- ↑ Extreme make-over: 14th Air Force becomes component numbered AF
- ↑ 618th Air and Space Operations Center (TACC) - Home
- ↑ Factsheets : 624 Operations Center (AFSPC)
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ 112d Air Operations Squadron Homepage
- ↑ NYANG - 152d AOG Homepage
- ↑ Air Force Reserve News
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 http://web.archive.org/20130218073428/www.airn.nato.int/BRTE_IV/factsheets/pdf/Fact_Sheet_CAOC1.pdf
- ↑ "CAOC 2: State-of-the-Art Engineering for more Security" Allied Air Component Command HQ Ramstein - Press Release
- ↑ CAOC-6 Factsheet
- ↑ Allied Joint Force Command Naples
- ↑ "Air Operations Centre in Spain" - NATO Official Website
- ↑ US Army NATO
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/20130221112704/www.airn.nato.int/brte_VII/factsheets/PDF/AIRN_FACTSHEET_CAOC_UEDEM_NU.pdf
- ↑ Globalsecurity.org
- ↑ "Combined Air Operations Center will move to new Italy location"
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/20130214230048/www.airn.nato.int/Activation%20Torrejon/13-02-07%20NR%20Activation%20CAOC%20TJ-e%20FINAL.pdf
The original article can be found at Air and Space Operations Center and the edit history here.