Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, provides command and control of air power throughout Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and other nations in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command region. The CAOC comprises joint and Coalition teams that execute day-to-day combined air and space operations and provide rapid reaction, positive control, coordination, and deconfliction of weapon systems. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander W. Riedel)
Tampa Bay Times: U.S. threads needle of politics to run air war against ISIS from base in Qatar
From his office on the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, Air Force Maj. Gen. David Nahom can look out his window into a cavernous room with banks of screens and find the position of any aircraft in the region.
Just outside his office is a smaller room with a hotline to the Russians, staffed 24 hours a day by Russian-speaking personnel who help keep the two air powers from running into each other in the skies or bombing one another's troops or allies on the ground.
As the second in command of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Nahom helps runs aerial bombardment campaigns against the Islamic State, the Taliban, al-Qaida and other jihadi groups from here in the Combined Air Operations Center.
He has a lot on his hands.
Read more ....
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- July 14, 2017
Iraqi generals thank US for helping to liberate Mosul at Pentagon briefing -- Washington Examiner
Pentagon wants to build new US facilities in Iraq, Syria -- Al-Monitor
Here's how many countries buy military equipment from Russia -- Business Insider
Russia Points Missile at China While Holding Military Exercises With Beijing in Europe -- Newsweek
World Naval Developments — China's Second Aircraft Carrier -- RCD
Report: North Korea's Kim Jong Un spies on informal markets -- UPI
Indian Navy launches hunt to acquire 110 helicopters in $5B deal -- Defense News
Turkey Chooses Russia Over NATO for Missile Defense -- Bloomberg
Canada Pledges to Increase Defense Spending -- National Defense
NATO voices skepticism over size of Russia's Zapad military exercise -- DW
Romanian leader to NATO official: We'll spend 2% on defense -- Military Times/AP
France puts on military show as Trump marks Bastille Day in Paris -- CNN
USNS Lewis B. Puller expeditionary sea base deploys for first time -- UPI
US Army's first heavy brigade rotation in Europe learns newfound agility -- Defense News
Fixing the U.S. Army's Looming Heavy Armor Crisis -- Loren Thompson, RCD
Strong Winds into F-35A Exhaust Caused Engine Fire: Investigators -- DOD Buzz
Marine KC-130T Experienced Problems at Cruising Altitude, Broke Into At Least 2 Pieces -- USNI News
John McCain pushing to include Afghanistan strategy in defense bill -- Washington Examiner
Pentagon IG: $33B in savings available for DoD -- Defense News
House rejects bid to close unused military bases -- Washington Examiner
Marines Corps looks to field new plate carriers and body armor -- Marine Times
"A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity": 1st crew of new aircraft carrier Ford excited for its commissioning -- Virginia Pilot
A 355-ship Navy? We’ll see, says Trump’s Navy secretary pick -- Defense News
USS America Leadership Look To Aircraft Carriers For Inspiration On Leveraging Aviation-Centric Design -- Megan Eckstein, USNI News
Major defense stocks reach all-time highs as investors see weapons spending boost -- CNBC
House kills proposed ban on transgender surgery for troops, 209-214 -- Defense News
Deter China: Prepare U.S. Navy for War -- US Naval institute
Will Trump end bread and water? -- Geoff Ziezulewicz, Navy Times
How Will The Pentagon Create Its AIs? The Algorithmic-Warfare Team Is Charting a Path -- Defense One
Abort The Space Corps On The Launchpad -- Mackenzie Eaglen, Breaking Defense
The US isn’t going to launch a military Space Corps—for now -- Tim Fernholz, Quartz
Putting Defense Spending in Context -- Rachel Zissimos & Thomas Spoehr, RCD
Stephen Feinberg, the Private Military Contractor Who Has Trump's Ear -- The New Yorker
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