ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- When an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft failed to launch during a key mission in a recent exercise, it could have meant the loss of real-time command and control for a multinational force conducting complex air operations.
Instead, the 728th Battle Management Control Squadron (BMCS) stepped in.
The unit, based at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, was participating in a Red Flag exercise, which provides flying, command and control, maintenance and other support units valuable experience in realistic air-to-air combat scenarios.
For two days during the exercise, the E-3 was unable to take off. The 728th BMCS assumed full responsibility for the air battle management mission, providing control and coordination for the entire battle management area (BMA).
“For every Red Flag mission, we had two command and control agencies,” said Maj. Walter Oliver, the 461st Air Control Wing deputy director of plans and programs and the 728th BMCS detachment commander for the exercise. “On two of those days, the E-3 couldn't take off. So, the 728th covered the entire BMA … checking in aircraft, routing them to their holding points, and controlling the mission from start to finish.”
Staff Sgt. Austin Fisk, the 728th BMCS noncommissioned officer in charge of standards and evaluations, helped support training and evaluations during the exercise.
“We planned to run the safety, force accountability and check-in portion of the mission,” Fisk said. “At the last minute, the E-3 became unavailable. We were already positioned and prepared … and we took over the mission.”
These exercises provide a proving ground for the squadron's growing team. Oliver noted the importance of live experience.
“This situation, where we had to take over, aligns with something you may face in real-world operations,” Oliver said. “Our fighters, and everyone downrange, know how important command and control is. Whether it’s an AWACS, a ground station downrange, or a ground control and command station stateside … that’s what will keep them alive.”
Activated in 2023, the 728th was the Air Force's first battle management control squadron. Formed after the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) divestment, the squadron inherited the command and control mantle once held by JSTARS. However, it operates from a fixed ground location with access to distributed sensor and communication feeds, providing 24/7 global battle management without risking aircraft and crews.
The blend of airborne and ground-based capabilities gives commanders more options. Whether working independently or together, each platform brings unique strengths. The ground-based model offers persistence and survivability, while airborne platforms provide broader radar coverage and line-of-sight in complex terrain. Commanders have a varied command and control toolbox.
As the Air Force retools its command and control approach to support Agile Combat Employment and Joint All-Domain Command and Control operations, the 728th is carving a unique niche. Unlike traditional control and reporting centers, which rely on organic radar and radio assets, the BMCS model fuses external sensor and communications feeds into a scalable, deployable capability.
“Our closest active-duty counterpart is the control and reporting center,” Fisk said. “They deploy with their radar and radios … our goal is to pipe in external feeds or communication capabilities into our operations and provide the same capability without moving personnel.”
That flexibility means a smaller footprint, faster deployments, and, as BMCS capabilities grow at Robins, the potential to provide simultaneous support across multiple combatant commands.
“Our end goal is to run concurrent operations under Central Command and Indo-Pacific Command simultaneously with two separate crews, all here from Robins,” Fisk said. “That’s a unique capability.”
The 728th BMCS may be new, but its impact is already reshaping Air Force battle management – one mission, one feed, one fight at a time.