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Battlespace command, control center protects region

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Shad Eidson
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The Air Force's newest Battlespace, Command and Control Center officially opened during a ceremony here Feb. 26, adding new systems and upgraded capabilities for the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, as well as becoming their permanent new home.

The center allows persistent command and control capability through the use of local and remote sensors and allows cross-platform, cross-service and cross-coalition augmentation, said Lt. Col. Jeff York, 71st EACS commander during the ceremony.

"BC3 will provide air defense of the Arabian Gulf and will also serve as the senior tactical battle management command and control element for Afghanistan," Colonel York said to the attending crowd.

The $30 million facility allows the squadron's operators and technicians to pull real-time information from Air Force, Navy and Army sensor systems in the region. The 71st EACS is able to then provide senior leaders with the vital information.

"I can get pictures from players or send them information like we send our feed to the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, which provides situational awareness of the whole battlespace," said Staff Sgt. Jason Diemer, a 71st EACS interface control technician deployed from the 603rd Air Control Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy.

Learning the new system isn't posing any real challenge, said the Turnersville, N.J. native.

"My Airmen are very eager to jump on it ... asking a lot of questions of the contractor who is familiar with the system and who came to assist with the transfer to the new facility," said Sergeant Diemer, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan on previous deployments.

"The upgrade is like comparing an F-4 Phantom to a Joint Strike Fighter. The technology and the advances in the system are tremendous," said Capt. Charles Hudson, director of operations.

BC3 is commercial, off-the-shelf equipment not tied to one company, so if a part breaks another piece can be acquired quickly, said Captain Hudson, who also deployed from the 603rd ACS at Aviano AB.

BC3 has better integration with the sensors and can handle more radar and radio sources, said Captain Hudson, who hails from Jasper, Ala. The interface and ability to display and use the data off those systems allows the 71st EACS operators to handle more information than previously and increases the ability to pass on the information.

"We are here to help protect the Arabian Gulf area with early warning of airborne threats," said Captain Hudson, who is on his eighth deployment since 2001.

This rotation has individuals here from every active duty air control squadron, including many who stood up the BC3 unit in Balad, Iraq, last year, said Captain Hudson.

"They have definitely brought a lot of experience from that system and it has been very beneficial in our spin-up process," said Captain Hudson.

Later this summer, the mission will expand and test more of the BC3 capabilities as the 71st EACS takes over responsibility for radar systems in Afghanistan.

"An (coalition) unit in Kandahar will be returning home and taking their equipment with them. We will have Airmen there maintaining U.S. radar systems and sending that picture back to BC3 for us to execute the Afghanistan mission from here," said Captain Hudson.