U.S. Air Force

Combat Operations

The operations squadrons and combat operations staff that plan and execute air combat missions. From wing operations centers to combat plans divisions, these are the mission planners who turn strategy into sorties.

Planning the Fight Est. 1942

COMBAT OPS

WING OPS CENTERS

Combat Operations

Mission Planning / Execution / Intel Fusion

Combat Operations encompasses the staff functions that plan, brief, execute, and debrief air combat missions. Operations Support Squadrons provide intelligence, weather, airfield management, tactics, and mission planning to the flying squadrons. Wing Operations Centers coordinate real-time operations across all squadrons on base. The combat ops floor is where the wing commander fights the wing. Every sortie begins and ends in the ops center. Read more

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Modern Combat Planning 1991 - Present

WOC

REAL-TIME C2

Wing Operations Centers

The Wing Operations Center is the nerve center of a fighter wing at war. It manages the flying schedule, coordinates with the CAOC, tracks aircraft status, and responds to emergent taskings. During surge operations, the WOC runs 24/7 with operations officers, intelligence specialists, and weather forecasters working together to generate maximum combat sorties. The mass briefing before a large force employment package starts and ends here. Read more

Intel / Weather / Tactics / Ranges

The Operations Support Squadron is the enabling backbone of every flying wing. It manages the base radar approach control, runs intelligence analysis for mission planning, provides weapons and tactics expertise, coordinates training range access, and manages aircrew flight records. Without the OSS, the flying squadrons could not plan, brief, fly, or debrief. Every wing has one and every combat deployment depends on it. Read more

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OSS

Ops Support Sqn

WOC

Wing Ops Center

Intel

Mission Planning

24/7

Combat Operations