Air & Space Operations Center (AOC)

This budget line funds the Air Operations Center Weapon System (AOC WS), AN/USQ-163 Falconer, the senior element of the Theater Air Control System (TACS). This is the weapon system that the Commander, Air Force Forces (COMAFFOR) provides the Combined/Joint Force Air Component Commander (C/JFACC) for planning, executing, and assessing theater-wide air and space operations. The C/JFACC provides air, space and cyber support to the Combined/Joint Forces Commander (C/JFC) by coordinating, deconflicting, and assessing the progress of various weapon systems to advance the C/JFC's campaign. The AOC WS develops operations strategy and planning documents. The weapon system also disseminates tasking orders, executes day-to-day peacetime and combat air, space and cyber operations, and provides rapid reaction to immediate situations by exercising positive control of friendly forces. Funding supports continued software engineering capacity required for AOC WS with efforts to optimize and stabilize the AOC infrastructure and the IaaS/Paas development and operational capabilities. AOC WS upgrades are required to support mission requirements at geographic AOCs, global (formerly functional) AOCs, and support and manpower augmentation units, and to keep the AOC current and interoperable with the Combatant Commands (CCMDs), cyber requirements, and next generation weapon systems/weapons. Funding also provides software engineering capacity to deliver air operations capabilities improving speed and automation of the full air tasking cycle, including integration with unit-level sortie generation capabilities that feed friendly order of battle (FrOB) information to the Master Air Attack Plan process. AOC WS modernization utilizes agile methodologies to deliver capabilities that keep pace with evolving commercial and government off the shelf (COTS/GOTS) software components, DoW directives, operational energy security and efficiency objectives, and changes in the underlying IT environment. Additionally, the modernization ensures the AOC WS remains interoperable, certified, and supportable across the lifecycle of new capabilities and upgrades. This includes utilization of a managed cloud IaaS/PaaS hosting platform.

In FY 2027, Flight Operations funding transferred to its own PE (0207461F), and this project 674597 now funds AOC Decision Advantage. The AOC Decision Advantage (ADA) project develops, fields, and sustains an adaptable, AI-driven targeting and C2 platform designed to provide a decisive information advantage over peer adversaries. As a critical component of the broader Air Operations Center (AOC) modernization effort, ADA delivers key capabilities supporting The Department of War's (DOW's) Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) framework. The United States Air Force (USAF) is implementing ADA as the Air Force's portion of the DoW's enterprise-wide mission command applications strategy to accelerate AI-enabled decision-making as the cornerstone for CJADC2. The AOC program is closely aligned and integrated with the DoW's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence office (CDAO)'s plan to integrate a common, enterprise-wide mission command applications strategy via Maven Smart System (MSS). This strategy will provide AI-driven workflows and data connections to create high-functioning, cross-platform interoperability between AOCs and other CJADC2 systems. This program element will manage and execute the USAF-specific components of CDAO's enterprise strategy to provide stable funding, streamline acquisitions, and create clear lines of accountability for performance and oversight. The use of MSS will simplify data sharing and integrate workflows, fusing information across different warfighting functions and echelons. Its core capabilities, or "Decision Advantage Enablers," include battlespace management, joint targeting, fires and effects integration, and generative artificial intelligence. It also allows for the deployment of user-created applications. The system is being fielded to Air Operations Centers and supporting units to integrate fires and effects across Combatant Commands and Services. The overarching objective is to enable a data-centric AOC Weapon System (AOC WS) that supports operational planning and execution at the speed and scale required to fight and win in a highly contested environment. To achieve this objective, the program is focused on several lines of effort (LOE).