SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Placing a bomb on an adversary takes much more than the members operating the aircraft; it takes the integrated efforts of several agencies to ensure every aspect of the mission is planned for and coordinated before, during and after a strike. Airpower is ultimately dependent on the ability of the U.S. and coalition partners to effectively communicate and control what is going on in the battle space.
Members of the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, known as Kingpin, monitor and control the movement of aircraft and forces in the area of responsibility, clearing the way and deconflicting airspace for the myriad of missions conducted daily here.
“Kingpin is the persistent 24/7 command and control element in the CENTCOM area of responsibility which includes support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Resolute Support,” said Capt. Jacob, 727th EACS air surveillance officer. “Kingpin is responsible for putting aircraft, fuel and munitions in the right place at the right time to destroy the enemies of our nation and our allies in order to meet the Combined Force Component Commander's intent and ultimately the strategic goals set forth by the President of the United States.”
In the combat arena, it isn’t only U.S. Air Force aircraft that share the battle space. Coalition partners, ground forces, ground-based missile defense and adversary assets all play a role in the coordination of each mission. To operate in this dynamic environment, Kingpin employs a diverse team of individuals who work together to cover every detail during operations.
“We have the privilege of serving side by side with a diversity of coalition partners as well as our fellow services, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps,” Jacob said.
Despite Kingpin’s capabilities and cutting-edge equipment, there are still limitations with ground radio and radar. Radar and communications work by line of sight, and the farther away an aircraft is, the more difficult it is for Kingpin to locate and communicate with them, said Jacob.
“An aircraft flying at 1,000 feet in altitude at a distance of 100 miles has broken line of sight with ground C2 and Kingpin will not be able to detect the aircraft or talk to the pilot with standard radar or radios,” he said.
This is where the other half of the C2 mission comes in; the Airmen of the 968th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron and the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
“Being airborne and mobile allows us to have a line-of-sight on other aircraft that provides a low-level look that is crucial to battle management and surveillance in the AOR,” said Capt. Denise, 968th EAACS air battle manager. “We utilize that information to facilitate mission accomplishment and we use our on-board sensors to fill in gaps of coverage for lateral agencies and higher headquarters.”
The AWACS crew is a dynamic team who operates a mobile command center in the sky, providing on-location radar and communication capabilities that wouldn’t be possible with only the ground assets available through Kingpin. Although different squadrons, the 727th EACS and the 968th EAACS seamlessly mesh in order to bring a complete battle space picture to the fight and ensure the combat aircraft know exactly where they are going, what to expect, and how they are going to get the fuel they need to make it happen.
“We work with Kingpin every day to ensure we are accomplishing the CFACC's intent and that we are standardized in our approach and application of Tactical command and control,” said Denise. “We each capitalize on our strengths to help each other out with our respective platform limitations in a complimentary role.”
Even when not deployed, command and control Airmen are practicing their duties in a simulated deployment arena so when the time comes they are ready to effectively perform under the pressures of combat, as they do here.
“Like many others in the deployed environment, being here is the culmination of many months, and sometimes years of hard work so it brings a sense of fulfillment to see the results of your efforts impacting the overall effort of the coalition,” said Denise.