Air Force Command and Staff Course (AFCSC)

 
The Air Force Command and Staff Course (AFCSC) is the only international course designed for the air force officers of the three Baltic states.

The main teaching method is group work and tasks from different teaching areas. The performance of tasks enables the AFCSC participants to assess and analyze different situations, express their opinion, and suggest possible solutions. Teamwork allows officers to get to know the roles of the team members and the leader.

The AFCSC participants are tested and evaluated according to the main learning areas, subjects, test results and individual and group tasks. In addition, team skills as well as learning progress are evaluated as well.

The presentations made by guest speakers, seminar leaders and discussion participants, including prominent government officials and scientists, is an important part of the AFCSC syllabus. The instructors of the Royal Danish Defence College take part in the preparation of Operation Planning, whereas Polish instructors from the National Defence University of Warsaw coming to the Military Academy of Lithuania under the Erasmus+ programme share their experience of staff work.



Aim

To enable Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian air force staff officers to plan and perform air operations at the component level, to become proficient at using NATO terms and definitions, to have the knowledge of the structure of the armed forces and peace, crisis, and war operations, and to become capable of analyzing and assessing situations and making timely decisions.

Duration

The ACSC lasts for 17 weeks or up to 600 contact hours, including 250 hours for self-study and one-week study visit to NATO air force units in Latvia, Estonia, Denmark, Germany, and Lithuania. Administration and English refresher are allocated a week each. The course is conducted in English.

Program

Operation Planning

For 7 weeks, the AFCSC participants are trained air operation analysis, theory and practice planning, logistics and force protection. They are introduced to military aviation, its history, advanced military aviation technologies and their use in modern military conflicts. In line with the nature of modern conflicts and their relationship with military operations, officers grasp the basics of naval and land operations planning.

Policy Studies

The 3-week course focuses on international relations and security theories, transformation of armed forces, major international organizations, fundamentals of international economics, terrorism issues, fundamentals of international humanitarian law, and communication with the media.

Project Management

The course of one week is dedicated to analyzing different peculiarities of project preparation, i.e., how the projects are started, developed, and completed. The course participants get acquainted with management and human and financial resource management.

Leadership and Military Ethics

The 2-week course consists of lectures on military ethics and moral principles, fundamentals of team building and the role of the team member and the leader.

Result

The graduates of the Air force headquarters officers' course are prepared to hold leading positions in the Lithuanian Air Force or other national and NATO headquarters up to the component level, as well as to apply for joint courses for commanders and general staff officers organized by the Baltic Defense College or other equivalent NATO colledges.

The officers who have successfully completed the training program are being awarded with the course badges and certificates.



Contacts
Center for Competence Assessment and Recruitment