Air Forces Central has begun operations at the newly constructed combined air and space operations center in Southwest Asia. Air Force officials have said this new CAOC, which is located at the same air base in the region as the previous command center, will tremendously enhance the ability of the combined forces air component commander to plan and execute the air campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq and the air activities elsewhere in the theater. “This new facility will bring new technologies and improved working conditions,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen Hoog, deputy CFACC. It features 160 miles of fiberoptic cable, 2,325 monitors to display air operations, and 871 non-secure phones and an additional 692 secure Internet-based telephones. Work to establish the new center started five years ago. (AFCENT report by Capt. Frank Hartnett)
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.
