Aerospace Operations Command

The Aerospace Operations Command (Portuguese: Comando de Operações Aeroespaciais, COMAE) is a joint command of the Brazilian Armed Forces overseeing all non-training flights by Brazilian Air Force aircraft, and more broadly, the planning, coordination and employment of aerospace assets. It is the central body in the Brazilian Aerospace Defense System (Portuguese: Sistema de Defesa Aeroespacial Brasileiro, SISDABRA) and as such, is directly responsible for the aerospace defense of Brazilian territory and may control Air Force, Army and Navy units. COMAE is part of the Air Force (FAB)'s structure, but includes personnel from the two other services.

SISDABRA detects aerial threats through Integrated Air Defense and Air Traffic Control Centers (Portuguese: Centros Integrados de Defesa Aérea e Controle de Tráfego Aéreo, CINDACTA), an infrastructure it shares with the Department of Airspace Control's civilian activities. The central body also controls communications and command and control systems and can then direct active aerospace defenses (interceptor aircraft and air defense forces).

Upon its creation in 2017, COMAE inherited roles from the former Brazilian Aerospace Defense Command (Portuguese: Comando de Defesa Aeroespacial Brasileiro, COMDABRA) and General Air Operations Command (Portuguese: Comando-Geral de Operações Aéreas, COMGAR). Its purpose within the Air Force is comparable to the Army's Land Operations Command and the Navy's Naval Operations Command: it has no subordinate assets and controls whichever units are assigned to it according to its current task. Therefore, beyond aerospace defense, its missions include airlift, search and rescue, maritime patrol and joint Ministry of Defense operations.