The Air Force on Tuesday launched its newly expanded tactical air control group to meet the military’s growing needs of joint operations.

The organization is an upgrade from the previous tactical air control group established in 1961 as a training unit for joint air-ground operations and to take charge of close air support operations and air control during missions to destroy enemy weapons.

To improve the duty effectiveness and communications with other military branches, the Air Force plans to set up air support operation centers at six Army corps locations and the Navy’s Fleet Command, in addition to the existing ones at the Army 2nd Operations Command and Marine Corps headquarters. The nine ASOCs are tasked with supporting airpower when the Army, Navy and Marine Corps conduct operations.

“As the group is specialized in joint operations with the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, with the new ASOCs, we’re expecting to become capable of carrying out joint operations more swiftly through direct cooperation with ground and maritime forces,” the Air Force said in a statement.

Later this month, the Air Force will also clinch an agreement with the U.S. to advance the joint operation capabilities and information sharing of the two countries’ joint terminal attack controllers.

“We will expand the tactical air control group’s joint operation capabilities to tactical echelons, reinforcing their specialty as the country’s best joint operation unit and developing the joint operation systems,” Lt. Gen. Lee Wang-keun, the Air Force operations commander, said at the launch ceremony.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)