609th Air Operations Center emblem (Approved 23 January 2004, modified 6 April 2015)[1]
609th Air and Space Operations Center emblem
609th Air Operations Group emblem
Military unit
The 609th Air Operations Center (609 AOC) is an active unit of the United States Air Force based at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.[1] The unit is responsible for the daily execution of the air tasking order (ATO) on behalf of the Combined Forces Air Component Commander (CFACC) in the United States Central Command area of responsibility. The unit's personnel work with partners from 18 other nations to complete their mission.[2]
When the United States and Israel launched the 2026 Iran War, among the allied and partner liaison officers in the CAOC were the Canadian Forces. "Canada has members of three branches of the military — army, navy and air force —attached to CENTCOM and "we specifically have staff officers inside what's known as the Combined Aerospace Operations Center ... so, they are going to be directly involved in targeting."[3]
Lineage
Established as the 609th Air Operations Group and activated on 1 January 1994
Redesignated 609th Air and Space Operations Center on 1 March 2008
Redesignated 609th Air Operations Center on 1 December 2014[1]
↑"Did Canadian exchange officers participate in U.S. Iran strike planning? DND says no, but questions linger". CBC News. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026. "Unless the Canadian government said, 'No, you cannot be directly engaged in this conflict,' then … typically, when we attach officers to another military and they go to war and the prime minister endorses this attack, then it's quite likely that they're actively engaged in the targeting process," Thompson told CBC News.
