DAF BATTLE NETWORK capability tested in REFORPAC 2025

Published Nov. 18, 2025
By Morgan Brown
DAF PEO C3BM Public Affairs

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- The Department of the Air Force Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management successfully deployed the Tactical Operations Center – Light kit in support of Resolute Force Pacific 2025, the largest multi-national contingency response exercise in the Indo-Pacific.

The multi-week exercise involved more than 12,000 U.S. and coalition members and approximately 300 aircraft operating across 50 locations and 3,000 miles. For C3BM, in coordination with the 752nd Operations Support Squadron, the primary focus was enabling TOC-L operations in a contested environment through rapid deployment of personnel, equipment, and digital command-and-control capabilities.

Managed by Department of the Air Force Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management’s Advanced Battle Management System Division, the Tactical Operations Center – Light continues its field-testing during exercise Resolute Force Pacific, July 2025. The next-generation TOC-L major release 2 aims to provide enhanced decision superiority across future contested battlespaces. (Courtesy Photo)

"Despite encountering logistical hurdles, including airlift limitations and scheduling conflicts, our team achieved its key objectives of deployment and connectivity,” said Capt. Andrew Millette, 752 OSS chief of training at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. “This success underscores the value of robust, detailed logistical planning and adaptability under pressure."

The deployment tested the TOC-L’s ability to support distributed C2 functions across the theater. Airmen delivered and integrated experimental systems, troubleshot emerging issues, and provided critical briefings to senior leadership while operating in dynamic and austere environments.

“C3BM directly supported TOC-L implementation by deploying to multiple sites, managing equipment, and capturing lessons learned that will inform future development,” said Stephen Ciulla, TOC-L program manager. “Our efforts are one of many laying the groundwork for more resilient and responsive C2 capabilities.”

Airmen with the 752nd Operations Support Squadron load the Tactical Operations Center – Light it into a cargo space for transportation here, July 25, 2025. Managed by the Department of the Air Force’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management’s Advanced Battle Management System Division, the TOC-L advances its field testing while the development of the major release 2 prototype continues. As a cornerstone of the DAF BATTLE NETWORK, the next-generation TOC-L aims to provide enhanced decision superiority across future contested battlespaces. (Courtesy Photo)

REFORPAC was a component of the Department-Level Exercise series, a first-in-a-generation initiative involving joint and allied forces across the Department of War. These exercises are designed to test interoperability, improve coalition coordination, and prepare for large-scale operations in contested environments.

The TOC-L is a mobile, scalable node that fuses data from multiple sources to build a synchronized air picture, enabling faster and more accurate decision-making. Its development supports the evolving DAF BATTLE NETWORK, which connects sensors, effectors, and logistics systems across domains.

“This exercise allowed us to validate rapid deployment processes and use the TOC-L to execute theater-wide, distributed C2,” Ciulla said. “We’re continuing to explore how contingency response teams can operate under pressure and with limited infrastructure.”

The exercise also stressed the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment strategy, which focuses on deploying combat capability quickly across dispersed locations. Preparations for ACE included upgrading infrastructure and ensuring a steady flow of critical supplies to support uninterrupted operations.

Airmen with the 752nd Operations Support Squadron setup the Tactical Operations Center – Light it during exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025 here, July 25, 2025. The multi-week exercise, involving more than 12,000 U.S. and coalition personnel and approximately 300 aircraft operating across 50 locations and 3,000 miles in the Indo-Pacific, tested the Air Force’s joint and allied partners ability to rapidly deploy to a dynamic, contested environment. (Courtesy Photo)

“Exercises like Project Convergence Capstone 5, and now REFORPAC, have shown we’ve achieved unprecedented levels of data sharing,” Ciulla said. “As we collect more information, we also have to increase our cognitive capacity to process and act on it at machine speed.”

Managed by C3BM’s Advanced Battle Management System Division, TOC-L major release 1 advances while the development of the major release 2 continues. As a cornerstone of the DAF BATTLE NETWORK, the next-generation TOC-L aims to provide enhanced decision superiority across future contested battlespaces.

TOC-L at REFORPAC 25