By Sr. Airman Michael Longoria, U.S. Central Command
Army Capt. Anthony Findlay works next to a member of the Qatari Emiri Air Force in the simulated Air Operations Center April 27 at the National Defense and Crisis Management Center during Eagle Resolve 2009 in Doha, Qatar.
DOHA, Qatar – In the midst of an annual, multi-national exercise designed to enhance the cooperative regional defense efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United States, the Air Operations Center (AOC) is coordinating a simulated “air war.”
“We are addressing the full spectrum of air threats from enemy aircraft to weapons of mass destruction,” said Maj. (Pilot) Hamad Hadeed M. Salem, from the Qatar Emiri Air Force. “By addressing these types of threats during the exercise, we will be better able to handle them in a real world situation.” The AOC provides tactical and operational-level command and control for aerospace forces during Eagle Resolve 2009. “The complexity and lethality of modern warfare dictates centralized and careful monitoring of military actions to ensure we efficiently manage those risks,” said Air Force Maj. Edith Correa-Perez, the chief of command and control systems for Air Force Central Command. Managing those risks is a team of 19 participants, which consists of 14 members from GCC countries and five members from the U.S. “The main goal is to keep the GCC countries safe by communicating to identify and eliminate air threats in the Gulf region,” said Major Correa-Perez. “The communications within the AOC will allow for a quick and precise response.” Even with everyone in the same room, communication isn’t always so simple. “Not speaking Arabic would really slow down our response time but my counterparts are right here translating the information I need to know,” said Major Correa-Perez. Major Correa-Perez is not the only one who sees the added benefits of the cooperative effort. “The best part of working with the other GCC nations and the United States is learning how everyone operates,” said Maj. Mohammed H. Ghaim, from the Bahrain Air Force. “Now we can have a unified operation and share the responsibility of keeping the region safe.” This year’s Eagle Resolve, which runs from late-April to early-May, is focusing on promoting a common understanding of defense concepts and procedures, as well as exercising consequence management efforts.
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