Air Operations Center

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.Air Force Doctrine Document 1-2, ''Air Force Glossary''
. 11 January 2007. Accessed 29 January 2011.

The United States Air Force employs two kinds of AOCs: regional AOCs (pronounced "Kay-ock") utilizing the AN/USQ-163 Falconer weapon system that support geographic combatant commanders, and functional AOCs that support functional combatant commanders.Air Force Doctrine Document 2, ''Operations and Organization''
. 3 April 2007. Accessed 29 January 2011. 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).

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).

Battlecab

The Command element occupies the Battlecab, which houses offices for the senior leadership and provides oversight of the Combat Operations floor.
The Air Component Commander, normally a 3* NATO OF-8 (O-9) Lt General is the overall Commander of the Air Component and has oversight of their AOC.

There will usually be a 2* NATO OF-7 (O-8) Major General who is the Deputy CJFACC and has day to day command of the Air Component and oversight of the AOC.
The AOC Commander, would normally be a 1* NATO OF-6 (O-7) Brigadier General who commands the whole AOC facility and answers to the ACC.
There would then be at least 2 AOC Directors NATO OF-5 (O-6) Colonels who would oversee the Battlecab and maintain a 24/7 shift watch over all aspects of CAOC decision making.

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)

* 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)

* Chief of Combat Operations (CCO) "CRESCENT"
* Offensive Ops Team - Led by the Senior Offensive Duty Officer (SODO) "FIREBRAND"
** Electronic Warfare Cell (EWC) "LIGHTNING"
** Dynamic Targeting Cell (DTC) "SANDMAN"
* Defensive Ops Team - Led by the Senior Air Defence Officer (SADO) "KMART"
* ISR Operations Team - Led by the Senior Intelligence Duty Officer (SIDO) "BISHOP"
* Joint Personnel Recovery Cell (JPRC) "DELIVERENCE"
* Interface Control - Led by the Joint Interface Control Officer (JICO), responsible for tactical datalinks and communications
* Weather Specialty Team "CYCLONE"
* Cyber Liaison Team
* Naval Amphibious Liaison Element (NALE)
** USN + USMC; NALE also provides personnel/support to CPD and ISRD
* Battlefield Coordination Detachment (BCD)
* Special Operations Liaison Element (SOLE)

Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Division (ISRD)

* Analysis, Correlation, and Fusion
* Targeting and Tactical Assessment
* Imagery Support Element (ISE)
* ISR Plans - Produce the ATO RSTA Annex for Collection Operations Management (COM)

Air Mobility Division (AMD)

* AMD Chief
* Deputy AMD Chief
* Superintendent
* Air Mobility Control Team (AMCT)
** Execution Cell
** Mission Management
** Flight Management
** USAPAT Mission Planner
** Maintenance
* Airlift Control Team (ALCT)
** Airlift Plans
** DV Airlifts
** Diplomatic Clearance
** Requirements
* Air Refueling Control Team (ARCT)
* Aeromedical Evacuation Control Team (AECT)
* Unique Missions Support Team (AMDU)

Active Air Operations Centers

Inactive Air Operations Centers

AOC-equipping Units

* 102d Air Operations Group – Otis ANGB, Cape Cod, Massachusetts ( Massachusetts Air National Guard)
* 103d Air Operations Group – East Granby, Connecticut ( Connecticut Air National Guard)
* 193d Air Operations Group formally known as the 112th Air Operations Squadron – State College, Pennsylvania ( Pennsylvania Air National Guard)
* 152d Air Operations Group – Hancock Field ANGB, Syracuse, New York ( New York Air National Guard)
* 157th Air Operations Group – Jefferson Barracks, St Louis, Missouri ( Missouri Air National Guard)
* 183d Air Operations Group Capital Airport ANGS, Springfield, Illinois ( Illinois Air National Guard)
* 201st Air Operations Group - JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii ( Hawaii Air National Guard)
* 217th Air Operations Group – Kellogg ANGB, Battle Creek, Michigan ( Michigan Air National Guard)
*321st Air Mobility Operations Squadron – Travis AFB, California (Air Mobility Command)
*349th Air Mobility Operations Squadron – Travis AFB, California (Air Force Reserve Command)
*514th Air Mobility Operations Squadron – McGuire AFB, New Jersey (Air Force Reserve Command)
*621st Air Mobility Operations Squadron – McGuire AFB, New Jersey (Air Mobility Command)
* 701st Combat Operations Squadron – March ARB, California (Air Force Reserve Command)
** In addition to its augmentation role to PACAF's 607 AOC at Osan AB, South Korea, the 701 COS established its own AOC facility in the former Southwest Air Defense Sector at March ARB (established 2004)
* 710th Combat Operations Squadron – Langley AFB, Virginia (Air Force Reserve Command)

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

*
*
*
*
* List of military electronics of the United States

Footnotes

References

{{USAF Weapons

Military electronics of the United States