613th Air Operations Center

613th Air Operations Center
Unit name	613th Air Operations Center
Dates	2007–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Air operations center
Role	Command and control of air operations
Garrison	Joint Base Andrews
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

613th Air Operations Center The 613th Air Operations Center is a United States Air Force unit responsible for planning, directing, and assessing air operations in support of national priorities. It integrates command-and-control capabilities, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to enable decision-making for combatant commands, national leadership, and allied partners. The center coordinates joint and coalition airlift, strike, reconnaissance, and support operations across theaters to achieve strategic objectives.

Overview and Mission

The center provides combatant commanders with operational-level command and control, integrating assets from Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, United States Strategic Command, United States European Command, and United States Northern Command to synchronize effects. It fuses intelligence from National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Central Intelligence Agency to enable targeting, battlespace awareness, and mission planning. The mission supports strategic deterrence, crisis response, humanitarian assistance, and multinational operations alongside partners such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization, United States Africa Command, United States Indo-Pacific Command, and partner air forces.

History

Established amid transformation initiatives to modernize command-and-control, the center traces organizational lineage to legacy air operations elements aligned under Air Force Materiel Command modernization efforts. It was activated in an era influenced by lessons from the Global War on Terrorism, operational concepts from Joint Publication 3-0, and reforms prompted by Goldwater–Nichols Act implementation. The center has supported operations connected to notable campaigns including contributions aligned with Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, and multinational exercises such as Red Flag, Blue Flag, and Operation Atlantic Resolve. It evolved with doctrinal shifts from AirSea Battle discussions, cooperative frameworks from Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, and interoperability initiatives with partners like Royal Air Force, French Air and Space Force, Canadian Armed Forces, German Air Force, and Royal Australian Air Force.

Organization and Structure

The center is structured into directorates mirroring joint staff functions: plans, current operations, intelligence, strategy, and cyber coordination, working with entities such as Joint Chiefs of Staff, Combatant Commanders' staff, Combined Air Operations Center, Theater Special Operations Commands, and Air Operations Center Weapon System elements. Liaison offices maintain connections to U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Transportation Command, and allied operations centers from NATO Allied Air Command and European Union Military Staff. Support squadrons provide logistics, communications, and personnel services, integrating capabilities from Air Force Reserve Command, Air National Guard, Defense Logistics Agency, and United States Cyber Command.

Operations and Deployments

The center has overseen taskings for strategic airlift including missions involving C-17 Globemaster III, C-5 Galaxy, and KC-135 Stratotanker refueling tracks for operations tied to Operation Unified Protector coordination and relief operations after natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, Typhoon Haiyan, and earthquake responses in the Haiti earthquake mobilizations. It has contributed to counterterrorism campaign planning supporting Combined Joint Task Force operations, partnered with Special Operations Command Europe, Special Operations Command Africa, and U.S. Pacific Command for theater security cooperation. The center has participated in multinational exercises including Cobra Gold, Talisman Sabre, Red Flag Alaska, and interoperability events with Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Air Force, and Singapore Air Force.

Aircraft and Equipment

While primarily a command-and-control organization, the center coordinates operations involving platforms such as F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-4 Global Hawk, E-3 Sentry, E-8 Joint STARS, B-52 Stratofortress, B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, KC-46 Pegasus, and lift aircraft including C-130 Hercules. It leverages integrated systems like Link 16, Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite, Global Positioning System, Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System, and command suites derived from Distributed Common Ground System. Cyber and electronic warfare interfaces connect to assets operated by Air Force Cyber Command, Army Cyber Command, and National Security Agency elements.

Honors and Awards

Elements of the center and associated units have received recognition including the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and campaign credit for service supporting Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary missions, cooperative honors from NATO for multinational interoperability contributions, and commendations linked to disaster response from Department of Homeland Security components. Individual members and attached squadrons have earned decorations such as the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, and unit-level honor citations during joint operational deployments.

Category:United States Air Force units Category:Air operations centers