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726th ACS gives Red Flag eyes over the NTTR

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bryan Guthrie
  • 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

The 726th Air Control Squadron (ACS) are providing comprehensive radar coverage on the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) for all the pilots flying in Red Flag 19-2 this month.

A team of Airmen from multiple career fields has come together at a mobile simulated forward operation base (FOB) to watch over hundreds on nautical miles of the NTTR.

“We’re the glue that binds everything together,” said Lt. Col. Richard Barber, 726th ACS commander. “When the tactical plan comes together, we are the one to orchestrate all the parts. We integrate with other Command and Control (C2) units to bring order to chaos and speed up battle management decisions.”

This is the first time the 726th ACS has brought the Tactical Operation Center (TOC) to Red Flag and implemented it from the NTTR. The TOC is where all communication from the radar is brought in and dispersed to the pilots overhead. The overall affect is that it creates more realistic exercise for the 726th ACS.

A TPS-75 long range radar system is used to survey over 240 nautical miles and is one of the main pieces of equipment that gives the 726th ACS eyes over the NTTR.

When the radar is being used, its goal is to locate all aircraft in the air space around the FOB. Once an aircraft is located, personnel communicate with pilots and use data collected to distinguish aircraft between “Blue” and “Red” forces.

The 726th ACS is participating as the C2 function for Red Flag alongside the 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron, 16th Air Combat Control Squadron and Marine Air Control Squadron 24 for Red Flag. They all come together to produce an accurate representation of what is going on in real time.

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