Vision

The AOC, as the premier professional international organization in support of Electronic Defense, will also become the leader in Information Superiority.

Mission

The AOC is a professional organization that promotes Electronic Defense/Information Superiority to maintain national security by providing:

  • Symposia, seminars, publications, and lectures in all areas of Electronic Defense and related disciplines
  • Increased awareness to the general public, commercial/industrial partners, leaders, and government agencies.
  • Studies and analysis to support national defense issues.
  • Educational grants and scholarships.
  • Recognition of member accomplishments through awards.
  • Sponsorship of trade shows and exhibits.

Locally, the Kittyhawk Chapter supports the mission of the National AOC and our members through:

  • Sponsoring Kittyhawk AOC Week with three days of technical sessions.
  • Providing scholarships and grants to promising, local students.
  • Recognizing deserving members with local awards.

Thrusts

Maintain the AOC as the lead professional association for Electronic Defense/Information Superiority.

  • Recruit members from all focus areas *.
  • Enhance the Association’s services to all members.
  • Continue to improve the Association’s professional image.

* The following focus areas will be addressed. They span the entire electromagnetic spectrum and include operations, both military and civil, that are land, sea, undersea, airborne, and space-based. AOC involvement ranges from research and development to operations and sustainment.

Military

Electronic Warfare
Information Operations/Warfare
Command and Control Warfare
Defense Suppression
EO/IR Warning, Countermeasures, and CCM
RF Warning, Countermeasures, and CCM
Directed Energy Warfare/High Power Microwave
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
Signature Reduction/Control Transmission Security
Navigation Warfare, Public Key Infrastructures
Communications and Communications CCM
Computer Security and Attack
Image Interpretation and Analysis
Psychological Operations

Civil

Cyber Security and Attack
Telecommunications Protect
Security Assurance
Counter Database Contamination
Enterprise Protection
Data Security Assurance
Information Security
Economic Information Warfare

History

The AOC is a non-profit tax-exempt professional association comprised of individuals engaged in the science of electronic defense/information warfare and related disciplines. The membership includes scientists, engineers, managers, operators, educators, and military personnel in all grades.

The AOC was organized in early 1964 to provide a forum for the exchange of information on the technical and operational aspects of defense electronics and related fields. It has since grown to over 70 chapters with more than 17,000 individual members in the U.S. and foreign countries-35% government/active duty military and 65% defense electronics industry. The AOC works for the advancement of the state of the art and the knowledge of defense electronics subjects with the full cooperation of the DoD and defense organizations of friendly nations by conducting technical symposia and other educational programs.

The name “Old Crows” emerged from the first large scale use of electronic warfare during World War II. U.S. and allied bombing raids over Europe were equipped with radio and radar receivers to monitor the enemy and transmitters to jam enemy frequencies. The receivers and transmitters were part of the Allied Radio Countermeasures efforts and were designed, produced, and used under the equipment’s common codeword “Raven”. Operators who flew on the mission were known as “Raven Operators”. Common jargon later changed the term “Raven” to “Crow”.

The Association, like the Raven Operators, adopted the Crow with the electronic foot as its symbol. The Crow is registered with the U.S. Patent Office as the official logo.

Statistics

The Kittyhawk Chapter (originally known as the Kittyhawk Club) was first formed in late 1964. Today, it is one of over 70 individual AOC chapters. With a strength of approximately 600 individual members, the Kittyhawk Chapter is considered the 3rd largest chapter.