TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Pathfinder units are playing a crucial role in the Air Force’s modernization of command and control, with the 752nd Operations Support Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base guiding the effort for the Tactical Operations Center-Light.
As Air Combat Command’s designated pathfinder unit for TOC-L, the 752 OSS conducts real-world experimentation in major exercises like Red Flag, Bamboo Eagle, and Project Convergence. These efforts refine operation requirements, inform acquisition, and shape development of prototypes.
“The 752 OSS bridges operational need with acquisition reality by generating data, tactics, and user feedback under realistic conditions, serving as the connective tissue between innovators, testers, and operators for ground C2 modernization,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Daniel, 752 OSS director of operations.
The TOC-L is an agile, survivable, and networked successor to the legacy control and reporting center. It is designed to enhance the long-range kill chain by distributing command and control across contested environments. There are more than 15 TOC-L major release 1 prototypes in circulation across the force, with the 752 OSS evaluating the kits performance, refining tactics, and identifying integration issues.
The current “learn-by-doing” approach provides real-time feedback to developers and the Department of the Air Force’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communication and Battle Management, which manages the TOC-L through its Advanced Battle Management Division. That feedback directly influences the architecture of the DAF BATTLE NETWORK, ensuring new capabilities are informed by operational needs.
To ensure these emerging capabilities are absorbed across the force, the Air Force is leveraging multiple training approaches alongside rapid prototyping. These include “train-while-we-learn” practices that capture lessons immediately after exercises; digital twin technology for scalable, hardware-independent simulation; and joint exercise integration to test interoperability across services.
“Innovation doctrine encourages ‘edge-driven’ experimentation, but institutional processes must also adapt to translate those experiments into sustainable training artifacts and exercises,” Daniel said. “Without deliberate mitigation, the result is a two-speed force where pathfinders advance rapidly while the broader enterprise trails in readiness.”
By embedding operators into experimentation events, the 752 OSS acts as a conduit between warfighters and program managers. The unit generates critical data on C2 workflows, waveform integration, and mission-thread validation that helps synchronize innovation efforts across the DAF and joint partners.
The 752 OSS also plays a key role in assessing interoperability and doctrinal alignment by embedding TOC-L kits in multi-service and coalition exercises. These joint events ensure that capabilities are not only technically sound, but operationally relevant.
“This method helps the joint force adopt lessons from rapid prototyping, reducing the risk of doctrinal lag as technology evolves,” Daniel said.
As the DAF BATTLE NETWORK continues to expand, the Pathfinder mission ensures that C2 solutions are shaped by real-world conditions, operator input, and joint mission demands, accelerating the transition from concept to capability.