Air Force Command and Staff Course

The main goal of the Air Force Command and Staff Course (AFCSC) is to train Air Force Staff officers of the three Baltic States who are competent and able to use air operation planning procedures, NATO definitions and terms, knowledgeable about organisation of the Armed Forces and military operations in time of peace, crises, and war, capable to analyse and assess the situation, as well as make the right decisions.

The duration of the course is 17 weeks. This course is designed for the military officers of the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian Armed Forces.

International Air Force Command and Staff Course for the three Baltic Forces have been conducted at the General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania since 2004. During this period was 22 officers from Estonian AF, 26 officers from Latvian AF and 35 officers from Lithuanian AF successfully completed the course.

The AFCSC is the only course for the officers of the three Baltic States. The study programme of this course has been drafted in accordance with the current education and attained knowledge of the Air Force Staff officers of the three Baltic States as well as the topicalities, perspectives, and challenges faced by the Air Force of the three Baltic States while executing the assigned tasks and obligations to NATO. The Courses are held in English language.

The study programme of this course includes 4 areas of studies: Component Level Operations, Political Studies, Project Management, Leadership and Military Ethics.

Component Level Operations
The subject is one of the widest areas covered during the courses. During the period of 7 weeks, the participants get acquainted with military aviation, its history, modern aviation technologies and their usage in modern military conflicts. Regarding the nature of modern conflicts and conjugation of military operations connected with them the participants also get acquainted with operations at the Marine and Land Forces.

Instructors from the Royal Danish Military Academy who are actively involved in the process of course organisation and conduction teach the students theory and practice of the air operation planning, logistics and force protection.

Political Studies
Course participants get acquainted with theories of international relations and security, transformation of armed forces, main international organisations, basics of international economy, terrorism problems. During the 3 weeks of political studies the students get basic knowledge on international humanitarian law, learn about peculiarities of cooperation with media.

Project Management
As far as the Air Force Staff officers are closely connected with projects, a one-week Project Management Course was included in the programme. During the course the participants are taught management work, peculiarities in finance and human recourses management.

Leadership and Military Ethics
During a two-week cycle of lectures on the principles of military ethics and morality the students get theoretical knowledge about basic moral forms and their application during the period of task implementation.

The main teaching method is group work in different areas so the participants are divided into three groups.  While performing the tasks each participant has the possibility to evaluate and analyse various situations, express his or her opinion and suggest the ways of task solution.

The participants are tested and evaluated according to main learning areas and separate subjects. Students’ evaluation is based on the tests’ results, individual and group tasks’ fulfilment. Individual participants’ abilities to work actively and efficiently in a group, learning abilities, achievements during the course are evaluated as well. 

Air Force Command and Staff Course is an important part in the officer’s who is planning to work at the Air Forces career. After completion of the AFCSC the officers are prepared to undertake the leading positions at the divisions of Air Forces, Military Air Forces, or other national or NATO Staffs till component level, as well as participate in competition to join the Joint Command and General Staff Course join the courses organised by Baltic Defence College or other NATO college courses of this kind. Upon successful completion of studies at the AFCSC military officers are granted course completion certificates and the AFCSC badges.