ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Air Command and Control System

An air command and control system is like a big game of "follow the leader" in the sky.

Imagine that you and your friends are playing a game where one person leads and everyone else follows them. If the leader gets lost or goes the wrong way, everyone else will too, right? That's kind of how planes work too.

In the air, there are lots of planes going in different directions, just like there are lots of kids playing different games on a playground. Air traffic controllers are like the grown-ups who watch over everything and make sure that none of the planes crash into each other.

The air command and control system is made up of computers, radar, and people working together to make sure that every plane knows where it's supposed to go and that it doesn't run into any other planes. Just like how kids need grown-ups to keep them safe and organized on a playground, planes need the air command and control system to keep them safe and organized in the sky.