605th TES tests next-gen weapons systems at Langley

by 2nd Lt. Brooke Betit and Senior Airman Jason J. Brown
633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

8/15/2013 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va.  -- A massive screen displaying the Korean peninsula, pockmarked with vividly colored icons, looms over the bustling command center where rows of military and civilian personnel in headsets process line upon line of digits and figures. Senior leaders huddle at the center of the room, gazing at the immense monitor above them and discussing what they're watching.

The scene has the feel of a big-budget military thriller. In reality, the production is an elaborate hands-on evaluation of new software upgrades to the Air Force's Air Operations Center Weapons System, conducted by the 605th Test and Evaluation Squadron. The evaluation lasted from Aug. 5 through 9 at the Combined Air and Space Operations Center-Experimental, inside the Ryan Center, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

The test, known as Recurring Event 12-1, was designed to put new and upgraded AOC-WS software elements through realistic simulations to determine the suitability and effectiveness of those products as it applies to joint warfighters serving the Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) in the theater of operations.

"We test what we field, and field what we test," said Lee Grieve, the AOC-WS test director.

Langley's CAOC-X houses a massive computer network tracking simulated war efforts downrange. The AOC-WS acts as an operating system for the CAOC-X, giving information to commanders who orchestrate battle plans in air, space and cyber space.

The CAOC-X also serves as a testbed for this new operating system, which, when approved, could eventually be used at all Combined Air Operations Centers CAOCs throughout the world.

According to Grieve, software updates can be equated to computer operating system service packs, which are patches that update existing software to the end-user -- in this case, U.S. military personnel serving in the Air Operations Center.

The upgrades, which include tweaks to existing platforms and introduction of emerging technologies, improve the efficiency, effectiveness, security and usability of existing systems while maintaining user awareness and familiarity.

"With this technology, our warfighters are able to execute the mission quicker, with greater capabilities and without the large footprint of a mass deployment," said Lt. Col. Ray Zuniga, 605th TES commander. "It saves money, increases cyber security and keeps our people in a safer environment."

In this scenario, a team of more than 70 military and civilian personnel from across the country used the developmental system upgrades to execute a simulated Air Tasking Order over the Korean peninsula.

At the culmination of the week-long test, evaluators assessed how effectively AOC personnel used the weapons system upgrades to accomplish their mission. Air Combat Command leadership takes the feedback and either recommends or does not recommend adoption and distribution of the proposed software package to units in the field.

Ultimately, this test leads to the recommendation of distribution of software upgrades designed to improve the way the commander responsible for joint airpower application in a battle employs that airpower using the AOC's capability to track and monitor combat from a centralized location.

Additionally, new software or applications can be included in the updates, giving warfighters new tools to better accomplish mission objectives and stay ahead of the enemy.

"Our upgrades help us apply the concept of the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) faster than the enemy, which makes us quicker and more capable than the enemy," Zuniga said. "In nearly every case, the force that has that advantage wins the battle."

Senior Airman Javier Torres Rios, an ATO re-planner from the 608th AOC at Barksdale AFB, La., has participated in five developmental tests, and said he is privileged to be part of the process in which warfighters get the best available technology to complete their mission.

"It's definitely good to get hands-on with the systems before they go out to the Air Force. I work with this software every day at home station and know what to look for, how it should work and how it can work better," he said. "I'm glad I get to give my input to help build a better experience for our people."

If approved, the WS upgrades will be fielded at the 612th AOC at Davis-Monthan AFB, N.M., for operational testing in October.