The US Air Force (USAF) has completed two crucial environmental assessments to pave way for establishing new missions at Robins Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia.
The completion marks a key milestone towards the implementation of battlespace command-and-control.
With the completion of assessments, work related to mission establishment, construction of facilities, operations designation, and assignment of personnel is set to commence.
The new missions at Robins AFB, Georgia involve the establishment of an E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) squadron, a Battle Management Control Squadron, a Spectrum Warfare Group and an Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) Family of Systems.
Construction of the ABMS facility began in March.
In the next stage, the Battle Management Control Squadron, from next year, will gradually start transitioning to Robins AFB. The squadron is anticipated to be fully operational by fiscal year (FY) 2025.
Besides, the AFB will receive its first E-11A BACN aircraft in mid-2023 while its unit will start operating from FY2027. In the same FY, activation of the 950th Spectrum Warfare Group headquarters is also scheduled.
The Battle Management Combined Operations Center is currently undergoing a design review.
The service is not planning to reduce manpower at Robins AFB; however, active-duty members will be repurposed/transitioned to new missions at other locations.
461st Air Control Wing (ACW) commander colonel Michelle Carns said: “New mission requirements and capabilities are already re-imagining war fighter’s battlefield, and men and women of 461st ACW are poised to provide unrivalled expertise to usher in that vision.”
The Air Combat Command and Georgia Air National Guard have started E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System fleet divestment to enable the bed-down of new missions.
Six E-8s have so far been divested while the remaining will be phased out by FY2024.
