Military overhaul introduces new guidelines for Air Force and Space Force units, including updates to command structures, promotions, and responsibilities.

Military overhaul introduces new guidelines for Air Force and Space Force units, including updates to command structures, promotions, and responsibilities.

Let's Get Down to Business: The Air Force's Battle Plan for a War-Ready Future

AURORA, COLORADO - FEB. 13, 2024 UPDATE:

In a no-nonsense move to beef up competition with China and ensure the country's dominance, Air Force and Space Force leaders unveiled sweeping changes aimed at boosting readiness and staying one step ahead of the game. The announcements were made at the AFA Warfare Symposium in Colorado, with a focus on readiness, organization, and weapons development.

Secretary Frank Kendall, acting undersecretary Kristyn Jones, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman revealed 24 action items and an aggressive implementation schedule. "All of these are intended to make us more competitive and to do so with a sense of urgency," Kendall said, echoing the sentiment that time is of the essence.

Given the rising threats from China, Kendall emphasized the need to act quickly to avoid miscalculations leading to conflict. "We are out of time," he repeated multiple times during his speech.

Key changes included the following:

1. Air Force'sreorientation: The AirForce's Major Commands will shift their focus to combat readiness, relinquishing their requirements and weapons development functions. A new Integrated Capabilities Command will handle these duties directly, reducing the competition between today and tomorrow.
2. Space Force's new command: The Space Force will establish a Space Futures Command, modeled after the Air Force's Major Commands, to focus on the service's future innovations and requirements.
3. Elevating cyber and electronic warfare: What is now the 16th Air Force, the Air Combat Command's information warfare arm, will be elevated to Air Forces Cyber, reporting directly to the Chief and Secretary of the Air Force with responsibilities for operational cyber, information, and electronic warfare.
4. Focus on Readiness: Operational Air Force wings will be restructured as units of action, with each designated as a Deployable Combat Wing, an In-Place Combat Wing, or a Combat Generation Wing, tailored for their respective purposes. The Space Force will create Space Force Combat Squadrons to support U.S. Space Command and establish additional Space Component Commands aligned with major geographical combatant commands.

Going Agile for the Long Run

The Air Force is intent on maintaining current readiness while also streamlining processes and structures for future competitiveness. To achieve this, they're turning the clock back to the Cold War era, bringing back large-scale combat exercises, no-notice operational readiness assessments, and inspections.

The Space Force will implement new readiness standards for operating in contested environments and when under attack, developing its own exercises program. Acknowledging the shift from regarding space as a safe domain, the Space Force is now acknowledging the need for new training methods, including a focus on ranges, simulators, and large joint force exercises.

"We have to transform this service if it's going to provide the kinds of capabilities, to include space superiority, that the joint force needs to meet its objectives," Saltzman said, recalling the need for a similar transformation in the U.S. Navy.

People Power

Air Education and Training Command will transform into Airman Development Command, with a mission to prepare Airmen for a wider range of duties in an expeditionary future. The focus on "Multi-Capable Airmen" will be formalized as "Mission-Ready Airmen," with new skills taught at every level in the training pipeline, from Basic Training to more advanced training.

The Air Force plans to create a new Warrant Officer track for highly skilled IT and cyber talent, enabling them to focus on their specializations without the traditional officer leadership track. Additionally, the Air Force will focus on technical tracks for officers and noncommissioned officers, starting with warrant officers for IT and Cyber.

Weapons Development

Kendall is reshaping the process of creating and developing new warfighting capabilities, with changes extending beyond centralizing requirements and integrated development in the new Integrated Capabilities Command. The new Integrated Capabilities Office will oversee all capability development for the department, centralizing resource decisions that had previously been determined by individual Major Commands in the Air Force and Field Commands in the Space Forces.

Stay tuned for more updates on these transformative changes within the Air Force and Space Force as they unfold.

Sources:

1. Air Force Magazine - The Air Force's Grappling with a New force generation model - https://www.airforcemag.com/aops/2024/02/14/the-air-forces-grappling-with-a-new-force-generation-model/
2. Defense News - US Space Force preparing for new era of competition with China -https://www.defensenews.com/space/2023/03/09/us-space-force-preparing-for-new-era-of-competition-with-china/
3. Space News - U.S. Space Force gears up for the future - https://spacenews.com/u-s-space-force-gears-up-for-the-future/
4. The Air Force and Space Force intend to enhance competition with China by implementing sweeping changes, providing a sense of urgency in boosting readiness and maintaining a lead in warfare.
5. Secretary Frank Kendall emphasized the need for swift action to avoid potential miscalculations and resulting conflicts, stating that the situation requires immediate attention.
6. The Air Force will reorient its Major Commands to focus on combat readiness, delegating requirements and weapons development functions to a new Integrated Capabilities Command.
7. The Space Force plans to establish a Space Futures Command, focused on future innovations and requirements, akin to the structure of the Air Force's Major Commands.
8. The 16th Air Force, the Air Combat Command's information warfare arm, will be elevated to Air Forces Cyber, reporting directly to the Chief and Secretary of the Air Force.
9. The Air Force aims to transform its training approach, relying on large-scale combat exercises, frequent operational readiness assessments, and inspections, reminiscent of Cold War era practices.
10. In response to the growing importance of space and the potential for space warfare, the Space Force will develop new training methods, focusing on ranges, simulators, and large joint force exercises.

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