The latest version of Atlantic Strike just concluded at Avon Park, Fla., where airmen, marines, and soldiers came together to hone their skills in urban close air support. Capt. Nathan Broshear reports that participants included Air Force and Marine joint terminal attack controllers and Army joint fires observers and, of course, aircrews. The exercise provided an intensive two-day indoctrination on the “latest software and hardware advances” before each JTAC team worked through four different combat scenarios, according to Maj. Raymond Brennan, exercise director. Industry representatives were present to provide assistance as US Central Command Air Forces rolled out the full-production version of the Air support Operations Center Gateway, enabling a battlefield datalink network with digital targeting and enhanced battlespace management. CENTAF expects to deploy the ASOC Gateway in combat for the first time early next year.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
