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Monday, December 13, 2010     INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING

Air operations center in Qatar plays key role in Afghan war

ABU DHABI — Qatar is playing a major role in the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

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Officials said the U.S. military has established facilities in Qatar designed to monitor air operations in Afghanistan and the Gulf. They said one such facility, the U.S. Air Force's Combined Air and Space Operations Center, has provided command and control in Afghanistan and air defense in the Gulf.

"It's our job to watch the [sky] and to coordinate with host nations, coalition partners and service partners to provide consistent and reliable air battle management," U.S. Air Force Maj. Jason Brown said.

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The air operations center has been managed by the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron in Qatar. The squadron has consisted of 140 U.S. and coalition airmen, who coordinate air and missile defense, including deployment of the PAC-3 batteries in such countries as Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

"Through radio and radar, this precision team orchestrates air power to meet the needs of the supported commander in the field," Brig. Gen. Randy Kee, commander of the 379th, said.

The squadron was said to be linked to a range of U.S. Air Force assets in Qatar and other Gulf Cooperation Council states. Officials said the squadron, through its Battlespace Command and Control Center, processes information from radars, sensors, radios and data links.

The U.S. military has used the Gulf for both the withdrawal from Iraq as well as the escalation of the war in Afghanistan. Officials said the C2 center in Qatar, which cost $30 million, has been tracking more than 1,000 aircraft a day in the Gulf as well as supporting ground operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"We basically control all maintenance actions and coordinate with outside agencies to ensure the mission equipment is available for operation," Master Sgt. Cate Mulder, a coordinator with the 71st, said.



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