Air Combat Command
to conduct Y2K Flag
Released: 13 May 1999
by Capt. Wilson Camelo
Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The
Air Force is turning its attention to ensuring it can fly,
fight and win in 2000, now that it has proven during recent
testing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., that its bases will
operate business as usual when the new year arrives.
Air Combat Command, the main provider of
combat air forces to theater commanders, will conduct a
three-phase Y2K Flag operational assessment this year to
ensure the Air Force can continue to project air power in
defense of the nation in 2000.
The Y2K Flag will also help the command
comply with the congressional mandate to operationally assess
all mission-critical systems -- those expected to be used in a
major theater war in 2000 -- in at least two exercises, said
Lt. Col. P.J. Avella, ACC Y2K operational assessment manager.
The three-phase Y2K Flag operational
assessment will occur during already-scheduled exercises and
operational events over the next five months. The exercises
will range from commander in chief-level exercises to
demonstrate Joint Air Operations Center capabilities to
exercising Wing Support and Operation systems to employing
weapons and command-and-control systems, said Lt. Col. Scott
Dowty ACC Y2K operational assessment director.
"We are trying to link all these
exercises to ensure the complete 'sensor to shooter' loop for
all AF missions -- counter air, lethal precision engagement,
etc. -- will continue in the year 2000," he said.
-- Phase one will occur during various
commander-in-chief operational evaluations and will assess
campaign planning and tasking in air operations centers. ACC
will participate in CINC-led Operational Evaluations with
Atlantic, Strategic, Central and Southern commands, to keep
the focus on joint operability and logistics issues.
The Aerospace Command and Control,
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center here and
the Command and Control Training and Innovation Group at Eglin
AFB, Fla., will also participate to demonstrate Joint Air
Operations Center capabilities.
JAOC is the joint-planning cell that couples
direction from the National Command Authorities with data from
sources like intelligence, targeting and weather to develop an
aerial strategic plan and execution air tasking order.
Producing ATOs in a Y2K environment is the desired major
output of this phase, said Dowty.
-- Phase two will assess command and control
planning and execution, and the Air Force Wing Operation
Center process. The WOC translates the air tasking order from
the JAOC into mission data and preparation for the aircrews
that will eventually carry out the missions.
"This will be a venue to check
unit-level system for Y2K compliance. The desired major output
is executing missions and force packaging," Dowty said.
-- Phase three is the major execution phase;
bringing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets
together with "shooter" assets to evaluate combat
aircraft and weapons systems in a realistic major theater war
scenarios.
"This is where we assess the sensor to
shooter chain that includes aircraft, weapon systems,
communication links and weapon interfaces," said Dowty.
"The desired output here is to fly
successful simulated combat missions, identify any potential
vulnerabilities and develop workarounds to those
vulnerabilities to ensure we can fly, fight and win in
Y2K," said Dowty.
The majority of ACC' operational
evaluations/assessments will be done during the air-to-ground
Weapon System Evaluation Program at Hill AFB, Utah, and the
air-to-air WSEP at Tyndall AFB, Fla., both in May, and the
mission employment phase at Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.,
in June.
WSEPs are annual events in which aircrews
are able to train with live munitions.
The Weapons School provides graduate-level
instructor academic and flying courses in various aircraft,
command and control operations, intelligence and space.
Graduates are experts on weapons; weapons systems; weapons
system integration; and employment tactics, procedures and
techniques. The ME phase is a two-week graduation exercise for
Weapons School students.
"This phased approach establishes
connectivity between CINC operational evaluations and AF
operational assessments," said Dowty. "By rolling
Y2K testing into already scheduled events it will help avoid
overburdening on our high-tempo units, minimizes impacts on
training-value for the planned events, and accomplishes Y2K
tasks at minimal costs." (Courtesy of ACC News Service)
RELATED SITES
The
Y2K Page
* Air Combat
Command
* Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla.
* Hill Air Force Base, Utah
* Keesler Air Force
Base, Miss.
* Langley Air Force Base,
Va.
* Nellis Air Force Base,
Nev.
* Tyndall Air Force Base,
Fla.
* U.S.
Air Force Weapons School
* U.S. Central Command
* U.S. Strategic Command
* Year 2000 Web Site
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