RAF LAKENHEATH, England — The U.S. military will soon offer courses on how to rule the skies.
Starting Oct. 1, USAFE officials will open the Joint and Combined Air Dominance Center of Excellence, which is designed to teach potential coalition partners American theory and techniques of establishing air dominance over conflict areas.
Students for the school mainly will be mid-level military members from NATO and Partnership for Peace nations, said Lt. Col. David Slade, center commander.
Hosted by Lakenheath’s 48th Fighter Wing, the center will offer four two-week academic courses and a flying meet each year, plus and instructional teams that will travel to interested nations to teach tailored courses, Slade said.
Between 12 and 20 students will take part in each training session, according to a USAFE news release.
Students and instructors will come from various branches of the military to reflect the joint-forces cooperation needed to establish air dominance, Slade said.
The goal, he said, is to try to make sure forces among USAFE’s European allies are “on the same sheet of music,” when a conflict breaks out.
Though USAFE already has two tactical centers of excellence in Europe designed with similar goals, the Lakenheath school is the first one to work at a strategic level, Slade said.
“The unique thing about the [Air Dominance Center] is that there’s not another template out there in any air force … that focuses on what we’re trying to achieve.”
