Air Operations Center

The AN/USQ-163 Falconer, better known as the Air and Space Operations Center (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. When there is more than one service working in the AOC it is called the 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).

Divisions

There are five divisions in the AOC. These separate, but distinct, organizations fuse information that eventually becomes the Air Tasking Order.

trategy Division (STRAT)

*Strategy Plans Team
*Strategy Guidance Team
*Operational Assessment 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
*Senior Intelligence Duty Officer
*Interface Control

Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Division

*Analysis, Correlation, and Fusion
*Targeting and Tactical Assessment
*ISR Operations

Air Mobility Division (AMD)

*Air Mobility Team
*Airlift Control Team
*Air Refueling Team
*Air Mobility Control Team
*Aeromedical Evacuation Control Team

Falconer AOCs

Non-Deployable

*609th Air and Space Operations Center/Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) - Southwest Asia
*607th Air and Space Operations Center - HTACC - Osan AB, South Korea

Deployable

*612th Air and Space Operations Center - USSOUTHCOM/12th Air Force AOC - Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/10/mil-051024-afpn02.htm Davis-Monthan Getting AOC]
*603rd Air and Space Operations Center - 3d Air Force AOC - Ramstein AB, Germany
*613th Air and Space Operations Center - 13th Air Force AOC - Hickam AFB, Hawaii

Tailorable AOCs

*601st Air and Space Operations Center - 1st Air Force AOC - Tyndall AFB, Florida (Homeland Defense)
*623rd Air and Space Operations Center - 23rd Air Force AOC - Hurlburt Field, Florida (Special Operations)
*608th Air and Space Operations Center - 8th Air Force AOC - Barksdale AFB, Louisiana (Global Strike)
*611th Air and Space Operations Center - 11th Air Force AOC - Elmendorf AFB, Alaska

Functional AOCs

*614th Air and Space Operations Center - 14th Air Force AOC - Vandenberg AFB, California (aka Joint Space Operations Center or JSpOC)
*618th Tanker Airlift Control Center - Air Mobility Command AOC - Scott AFB, Illinois
*624th Air and Space Operations Center - 24th Air Force AOC - Barksdale AFB, Louisiana Initially activated as the 608th Air Force Network Operations Center - 8th Air Force

Training/Experimentation

*505th Command and Control Wing (AOC Formal Training Unit) - Hurlburt Field, Florida
*Combined Air Operations Center-Nellis (CAOC-N) - Nellis AFB, Nevada
*Combined Air Operations Center-Experimental (CAOC-X) - Langley AFB, Virginia

AOC-equipping Units

*152d Air Operations Group - Syracuse, New York (New York Air National Guard) [http://dmna.state.ny.us/ang/152.html NYANG - 152d AOG Homepage]
*157th Air Operations Group - St Louis, Missouri (Missouri Air National Guard)
*112th Air Operations Squadron - State College, Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Air National Guard) [http://www.112aos.org/ 112d Air Operations Squadron Homepage]
*701st Combat Operations Squadron - March ARB, California (Air Force Reserve)
*710th Combat Operations Squadron - Langley AFB, Virginia (Air Force Reserve) [http://www.afreserve.com/news_archive.asp?id=444 Air Force Reserve News]

NATO Air Operations Centres

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also uses the Combined Air Operations Center concept at multiple locations. Supporting the air component commands are four static Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCCs) to direct NATO air operations – in Udem , Germany ; Finderup , Denmark ; Poggio Renatico , Italy ; and Larissa , Greece ; and two deployable CAOCs in Udem and Poggio Renatico. The static CAOCs can support Allied air operations from their fixed locations, while the deployable CAOCs will move where they are needed.

Active AOCs

*Combined Air Operations Centre-1 (CAOC-1) - Finderup, Denmark
*Combined Air Operations Centre-2 (CAOC-2) - Uedem, Germany [http://www.airramstein.nato.int/press1006.htm "CAOC 2: State-of-the-Art Engineering for more Security" Allied Air Component Command HQ Ramstein - Press Release] (Deployable)
*Combined Air Operations Centre-4 (CAOC-4) - Meßstetten, Germany [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/clean-hunter.htm Globalsecurity.org]
*Combined Air Operations Centre-5 (CAOC-5) - Poggio Renatico, Italy (Deployable)
*Combined Air Operations Centre-6 (CAOC-6) - Eskisehir, Turkey [http://www.afsouth.nato.int/operations/NATOTurkey/CAOC6Factsheet.htm CAOC-6 Factsheet]
*Combined Air Operations Centre-7 (CAOC-7) - Larissa, Greece [http://www.afsouth.nato.int/JFCN_Factsheets/Athens04/CAOC.htm Allied Joint Force Command Naples] (Fixed)
*Combined Air Operations Centre-8 (CAOC-8) - Torrejon AB, Spain [http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/0625/e0628b.htm "Air Operations Centre in Spain" - NATO Official Website]
*Combined Air Operations Centre-10 (CAOC-10) - Lisbon, Portugal [http://www.usanato.army.mil/AFSOUTH/LISBON/LISBON.htm US Army NATO]

Inactive AOCs

*Balkans Combined Air Operations Center - Vicenza, Italy (Deactivated in 2001) [http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/01/may01/ed052201j.html "Combined Air Operations Center will move to new Italy location"]
*CAOC 3 - Bodoe, Norway (Deactivated in 2008)
*CAOC 9 - RAF High Wycombe, United Kingdom (Deactivated in 2008)

ee also

*United States Air Force

References

External links