Employment Training

Australian Defence Force Academy, Officer

ACO employment training is conducted at the School of Air Warfare (SAW) at RAAF Base East Sale, Gippsland, Victoria. ACO students will first undertake the ACO common course which is around 26 weeks in length and covers training and assessment in the ground and airborne environments. In the ground environment, students will be instructed in ground school theory subjects, and perform practical exercises in simulators. In the air, students will receive around 22 hours of flying instruction in the Beech Super King Air 350 aircraft.

The major components of the common course include:

• Aviation Fundamentals;
• Mission Systems Management;
• Mission Command;
• Fundamentals of Air Power;
• Basic Air Campaign planning; and
• Future Air and Space Operating Concepts.

Following completion of the ACO common course, students will be streamed into one of three specialist modules. These are Air Battle Management (ABM), Maritime Patrol and Response (MPR) and Air Combat and Combat Air Lift

Air Battle Management
ACO students streamed to ABM will relocate to the Surveillance and Control Training Unit (SACTU) located at RAAF Williamtown, near Newcastle, NSW. At SACTU, ACO students will undertake 14 weeks of training in the fundamentals of air surveillance and fighter control. Following graduation from specialist training, all students will return to SAW for final graduation as an ACO, where they will be presented with the ACO "Southern-Cross" brevet.

Maritime Patrol and Response
ACO students streamed MPR will remain at SAW to complete the 14 week specialist MPR module which comprises of a further 50 hours of flying training in the Beech Super King Air 350 aircraft. Training provided during this specialist module will expose ACO students to the nature and type of operational missions flown in the maritime environment. Following graduation from specialist training, all students will graduate as an ACO, and be presented with the ACO "Southern-Cross" brevet.

Air Combat and Combat Air Lift
ACO students streamed ACTS will remain at SAW to complete the 14 week specialist ACTS module which comprises of a further 38 hours of flying training in the Beech Super King Air 350 aircraft. Training provided during this specialist module will expose ACO students to the nature and type of operational missions performed by fast jets and tactical transport aircraft. Following graduation from specialist training, all students will graduate as an ACO, and be presented with the ACO "Southern-Cross" brevet.

Graduates of ACO training will have 'demonstrated the potential to apply combat air power and command air combat missions'. The “Southern-Cross” brevet signifies the ACO’s role in the direct application of air power.