The 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron inactivated on Nov. 1 following a ceremony at Al Udeid AB, Qatar, where the unit has run command and control operations via remote radar, radio, and data link hubs since 2006, working to guide and maintain control of aircraft across US Central Command. The mission is now owned by the 727th EACS, said Lt. Col. Stuart Williamson, the 71st EACS commander. Since 2009, the 71st EACS has also worked to support operations in Afghanistan, focusing on command and control and battle management tasks to support troops conducting combat operations. In addition to the squadron’s work in Afghanistan, the 71st EACS has coordinated and worked with numerous C2 agencies and has also worked to take over combined defense of the Arabian Gulf when the unit was tasked with the role, said Lt. Col. Christopher Wachter, the 379th Expeditionary Operations Group deputy commander.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
