The Air Force is placing Air Combat Command in charge of teaching combat tactics to fighter and remotely-piloted aircraft units, according to a May 12 announcement.
Beginning this summer, the service will reassign the formal training units for the F-35, F-16, and MQ-9 from Air Education and Training Command to ACC at seven installations.
In a release, the service said the major command’s operational experience will improve readiness for the training pipeline for fighter and remotely piloted aircraft units and, in turn, allow AETC to focus more on teaching fundamental skills to Airmen.
The move will allow AETC to concentrate on teaching new pilots and maintenance Airmen “critical foundational skills” while ACC “hones their advanced skills and tactics” for high-end conflict, according to the Air Force.
The service’s formal training units, or FTUs, specialize in developing operational proficiency for aircrew assigned to advanced weapon systems after Airmen complete undergraduate flight training. Reassigning these FTUs under ACC “will expose students to operational environments earlier in their careers, accelerating their path to combat readiness and enabling [the Air Force] to supply combat-credible forces to the joint force more rapidly,” according to an Air Force spokesperson.
The move is the first step in “optimizing how we train for the challenges of modern warfare,” Air Force Chief of Staff Kenneth S. Wilsbach said.
“Airmen get a great start in AETC, and ACC will build upon that foundation, incorporating our front-line tactics directly into the training pipeline,” he said in a statement. “The objectives for this reassignment are to accelerate readiness, minimize breaks in training, and ensure Airmen are ready to take on any mission.”
Existing FTUs being reassigned to ACC this summer are:
- F-35 FTU, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. and Ebbing Field, Ark.
- F-35 FTU, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
- F-16 and MQ-9 FTUs, 49th Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
- F-16 FTU, 149th Fighter Wing, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
- F-16 FTU, 162nd Fighter Wing, Morris Air National Guard Base, Ariz.
- F-35 FTU, 173rd Fighter Wing, Kingsley Field, Ore.
Instructors and other personnel should see no immediate change to their current location, the spokesperson said. “This reassignment is expected to be a structural change of command relationships, not a physical relocation,” the spokesperson added.
Pilots and air crew from allied countries going through the F-35 Lighting II FTU at Luke and the F-16 Fighting Falcon FTU at Morris will also benefit from the reassignment, the Air Force spokesperson said.
“The status of students, to include foreign partners, will not be affected by the reassignment,” the spokesperson said. “The reassignment of [Combat Air Forces] FTUs to ACC is designed to further strengthen our collective defense by integrating the latest tactics, techniques, and procedures into the training pipeline, enabling international military students to transition seamlessly from foundational skills to combat-ready capabilities tailored to their nation’s requirements.”
ACC boss Gen. Adrian L. Spain said AETC has been essential for building the foundation of the service’s combat Airmen for decades “and will remain instrumental in providing the skills and mindset to the broader force that underpin our warfighting capability.”
“As the strategic environment grows more dynamic and the pace of operations increases, this reassignment ensures the operational community is more tightly linked to the CAF training enterprise,” Spain said in a statement.