The United States Air Force employs two kinds of AOCs: regional AOCs utilizing theAN/USQ-163 Falconer weapon system that support geographiccombatant 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 whennaval aviation from theU.S. Navy (USN) and/or theU.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 theTheater Air Control System (TACS). The Joint Force Commander (JFC) assigns aJoint 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 seniorflag officer from that service. For example, duringOperation Enduring Freedom andOperation Iraqi Freedom, when USAF combat air forces (CAF) and mobility air forces (MAF) integrated extensive USN and USMC sea-based and land-based aviation andRoyal Air Force (RAF) andRoyal Navy /Fleet Air Arm aviation, the CFACC was an aeronautically rated USAFlieutenant general, assisted by an aeronautically designated USNrear admiral (upper half) as the Deputy CFACC, and an aeronautically rated RAFair commodore as the Senior British Officer (Air).
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.
There are five divisions in the AOC. These separate, but distinct, organizations fuse information that eventually becomes theAir Tasking Order. Staffing of these divisions consists primarily ofUSAF officers of various specialities in the ranks ofcaptain,major andlieutenant colonel, supported by a smaller cohort of enlisted airmen, typically in the rank ofstaff sergeant and above. When conducting joint air operations,U.S. Army andUSMC officers of similar rank andUSN officers in the ranks oflieutenant,lieutenant commander andcommander 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 USAFcolonels andgeneral officers and USNcaptains andflag officers.
Also 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.[8]
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 formerSouthwest Air Defense Sector at March ARB (established 2004)
^abcdefgReferred as the label in parenthesis 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.
^abKnown as this label when referring to operations within the respective AOR, even though both organizations are ADCON by the same parent MAJCOM.
^11AF is not necessarily the servicing air component for ALCOM and is only ADCON over its assigned units. 611 AOC maintains TACON for missions over ALCOM, although OPCON over those units is maintained by PACAF.
193d Air Operations Group formally known as the 112th Air Operations Squadron –State College, Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Air National Guard)[22]
157th Air Operations Group –Jefferson Barracks,St Louis,Missouri (Missouri Air National Guard)
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