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 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 (SPT) Strategy Guidance Team (SGT) Operational Assessment Team (OAT) Information Operations Team (IOT)
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 +List of Active US Air Force Air Operations CentersNameEmblemLocationUnit assigned to (ADCON)Maintains TACON for which Air ComponentServicing Air Component's Area of Responsibility (AOR)TypeRole601st Air Operations CenterTyndall AFB, FloridaFirst Air ForceAir Forces Northern (AFNORTH)Unlike Component-MAJCOMs (C-MAJCOMs), Component-Numbered Air Forces (C-NAFs) use these other descriptive labels when referring to OPCON as the USAF Service Component for their assigned Unified / Sub-unified Combatant Command. The Numbered Air Force label is used when referring to ADCON functions. They are both different names for the same organization.AFNORTH operates under the CONUS NORAD Region (CONR) label when referring to airspace defense missions. The CONR HQ is co-located with the 601 AOC. TACON for airspace defense missions is delegated from the co-located USNORTHCOM and NORAD Headquarters to CONR HQ, and then is delegated to either the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) (callsign HUNTRESS) or Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) (callsign BIGFOOT).US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) (excluding ALCOM AOR)In the context of airspace defense missions, the AOR excludes both the Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR) and Canadian NORAD Region (CANR).RegionalCommand and control for homeland security and civil support missions for US Northern Command.TACON for the Air Sovereignty Alert (ASA) mission is maintained by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).603rd Air Operations Center Callsign: WOLFHOUNDRamstein AB, GermanyUS Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces AfricaUS Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)The Component-MAJCOM (C-MAJCOM) is known as this label when referring to operations within this AOR, even though it is under the same organization as the other AOR.US European Command (USEUCOM)RegionalCommand and control of air operations in Europe and Africa.Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA)US Africa Command (USAFRICOM)607th Air Operations Center Callsign: COBRAOsan AB, South KoreaSeventh Air ForceAir Forces Korea (AFKOR)US Forces Korea (USFK)RegionalCommand and control of air operations in the Korean peninsula, supporting US Forces Korea.608th Air Operations Center Callsign: RED RIVERBarksdale AFB, LouisianaEighth Air ForceAir Forces Strategic-Air (AFSTRAT-AIR)US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM)FunctionalAlso known as the Also known as the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center (J-GSOC). It provides command and control of long-range strike missions.609th Air Operations Center Callsign: KINGPINCommunication with aircraft handled by 727th Expeditionary Air Control SquadronAl Udeid AB, Qatar Det 1: Shaw AFB, South CarolinaNinth Air ForceAir Forces Central (AFCENT)US Central Command (USCENTCOM)RegionalAlso known as the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC), commands and controls the USAF operations from Northeast Africa across the Middle East to Central and South Asia.611th Air Operations Center Callsign: TOP ROCCJB Elmendorf-Richardson, AlaskaEleventh Air ForcePacific Air Forces (PACAF)11AF is not necessarily the USAF Service Component for ALCOM. However, the 11AF Commander is dual-hatted as the ALCOM Commander and Commander of the Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR). 11AF is effectively “Air Forces Alaska” (the Component-Numbered Air Force for ALCOM) in all but name. This is because although PACAF has delegated TACON for missions over ALCOM to 611 AOC, PACAF retains OPCON over 11AF’s units.Alaskan Command (ALCOM)611 AOC is colocated with the Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR) Region Air Operations Center (RAOC). 611 AOC’s AOR is coincident with the ANR in the context of airspace defense missionsRegionalCommand and control for the Alaskan Region of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), Alaskan Command and Eleventh Air Force within and surrounding Alaska.612th Air Operations CenterDavis Mothan AFB, ArizonaTwelfth Air ForceAir Forces Southern (AFSOUTH)US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)RegionalCommand and control of USAF operations in the Caribbean, Central and South America.613th Air Operations CenterJB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HawaiiPacific Air ForcesPacific Air Forces (PACAF)US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) (excluding USFK AOR)RegionalCommand and control of USAF operations in the throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.616th Operations CenterJB San Antonio-Lackland, TexasSixteenth Air ForceAir Forces Cyber (AFCYBER)US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM)FunctionalCommand and control of USAF worldwide intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance and cyberwarfare operations.618th Air Operations Center Callsign: HILDAScott AFB, IllinoisAir Mobility CommandAir Mobility Command (AMC)Referred as the label in parentheses when referring to OPCON while serving as the Air Component for the specified Unified / Sub-unified Combatant Command. The Numbered Air Force label is used when referring to ADCON functions.US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM)FunctionalAlso known as Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC), it plans, schedules and directs airlift, air-refueling and aeromedical evacuation operations around the world.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.Combined Air Operations Center - Nellis Callsign: RHINONellis 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.
Inactive Air Operations Centers