ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — The JSTARS mission has been a staple at Robins Air Force Base and for the nation's military for decades.
"The world has changed, and the threats have changed, and this airplane has gotten really old," says Colonel Chris Dunlap, Commander of the 116th Air Control Wing.
With the retirement of the JSTARS comes four new missions at Robins.
"We're in a digital age," says Colonel Adam Shelton, Commander of the 461st Air Control Wing. "Systems are going more computerized, more clod-based to be more agile for the threats we need to be prepared for."
Both Commanders say there will be a lot of changes and new technology headed their way, but their main focus will stay the same.
"We're really good at seeing stuff, analyzing it, communicating it in a quick manner so that we can make real-time battlefield decisions," says Col. Dunlap.
They'll be doing a lot of that same work, just from a hub on the ground. It will all be to support the Air Battle Management System.
"I think these missions were picked for us because I think the specialties and the skill sets that we have here already are a good match," says Col. Dunlap.
He says that also means no big job cuts, just transitions and more training on the newer technology.