What is the purpose of the Open the Airbase (OAB) FE?

• A. To manage air traffic control only.
• B. To provide capabilities to open an airbase and assess its establishment for operational parameters.
• C. To close airbases during conflict.
• D. To procure spare parts.

Answer: (B)

Open the Airbase is about rapidly turning an airfield into a usable operating base and evaluating whether it can support the missions at hand. It tests the planning and execution needed to open a base and to assess its establishment for the operational parameters that matter in real-world operations—things like runway and taxiway viability, infrastructure and facilities, power, fuel, water, maintenance and supply chains, medical and security support, and the command, control, and communications that tie the base into wider operations. The idea is to determine, within the given timeline, if the base can sustain the required missions and what gaps must be addressed before operations begin. That makes it the best answer because it explicitly covers both enabling the base and judging its capacity to operate. The other options focus on narrower tasks—air traffic control alone, or base closure, or procuring parts—which do not capture the broader goal of opening a base and validating its operational readiness.