WASHINGTON (AFNS) —
Speaking individually at an influential gathering two blocks from the White House March 9, the Department of the Air Force’s highest-ranking civilian and army leaders provided emphatic variations on an identical theme – the need to modernize quicker, assume quicker, and nurture the cultures wanted to confront potential threats and adversaries.
“I am focused on modernization,” Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall stated throughout a keynote tackle closing the thirteenth Annual Defense Programs Conference staged by McAleese and Associates.
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine coming into its third week and China’s continued army growth and modernization, nobody has to look far to perceive why, he stated.
“It’s still China, China, China for me,” Kendall stated in outlining the challenges he’s targeted on. “Russia … is a significant power to be concerned with. We’ve had a wake-up call; we’ve had an emotional event that says, ‘Yes, war at scale among great powers, among modern powers can actually happen.’ It can also happen in the Pacific.”
China, he stated, “Has vastly more resources than Russia does and has been investing for almost 30 years to field forces that can keep the United States out of that region, (and) defeat us if we try to interfere in something they might do. So, the threats are increasing over time.”
Those realities, in addition to others, together with North Korea, are the catalyst for Kendall’s “Seven Operational Imperatives,” his blueprint for reshaping the Air and Space Forces to meet challenges now and in the future.
Those themes – the need for pressing change to reshape the Air and Space Forces amid China’s rise and Russia’s ambition – in addition to hardening operations in house have been the focus in remarks earlier in the day from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., and Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond.
Kendall agreed that house is a key part. He praised Raymond for a way he’s developed the Space Force however, like Raymond, stated extra have to be accomplished.
“We have a lot of work to do in terms of the Space Force and transitioning from a force which was designed for a period when we could operate with impunity in space. … We are starting down the path that takes us in the direction of having more resilient capabilities in space,” Kendall stated.
That we have now arrived at an “inflection point” in historical past is one thing Raymond and Brown of their remarks later in the day, highlighted.
“We live in a very complex, strategic security environment. Probably the most complex strategic environment that we’ve had in over three generations,” Raymond stated in a morning session.
“We have some problems that we’re facing that are becoming more complex, more complicated with increasing uncertainty and will all take leadership to solve,” Brown stated solely hours after Raymond spoke.
The remarks from all three officers have been, in massive measure, echoes of feedback every delivered final week at the Air Force Association’s Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida. But in addition they offered extra element about the plans and priorities of every service and the penalties if these objectives aren’t realized.
“Space plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges because it underpins every instrument of national power: diplomatic, informational, military, and economic,” Raymond stated. “… A few years ago, we could assume unfettered access to space and freedom to maneuver in space. You can’t assume that anymore.”
Like Kendall, Raymond stated there can’t be delay and he described how the Space Force, in its third 12 months, is being constructed for velocity and to guarantee sustained superiority in that crucial area.
“We have to get this right, and we don’t have time to waste,” stated Raymond, who has led the Space Force because it was born in December 2019.
“Our challengers are moving fast and ultimately seek to surpass the United States as the world’s leading space power. The Space Force must deliver faster than our competitors and extend our nation’s advantage in space. The competition in space over the next decade will be fierce. We can’t afford to lose,” he stated.
Raymond additionally stated the Space Force is transferring aggressively to harden capabilities in house, making them extra resilient as an alternative of the weak {hardware} that got here earlier than and was appropriate to a site that was peaceable and “benign.” Those situations are not current.
“Competitors are escalating their coercive and malign activities in all domains and are imposing new transboundary challenges on the joint force,” he stated. “China and Russia are demonstrating capability to contest our advantage and build capabilities that enhance their power, putting our forces at risk. Space underwrites the joint force — our joint missions don’t close without space. We can’t fight, communicate, target, precision-strike, or maneuver … without space,” he stated.
“To ensure we are able to continue to offer these capabilities today and in the future, the Space Force is embarking on an unprecedented shift in our Space Force architecture,” Raymond stated.
Brown made an identical level, noting that the Air Force should adroitly “balance risk” whether it is to succeed in assembly immediately’s challenges whereas additionally shaping itself for the future.
Navigating these challenges, he stated, demand the Air Force carry to life his strategic strategy to reworking the service referred to as Accelerate Change or Lose, and tackle what he outlined as 4 sorts of danger: “warfighting risk, which pertains to the Air Force’s rate of modernization relative to adversaries;” “foundational risk,” which incorporates nurturing and sustaining Airmen, making certain readiness; “execution risk,” which is shorthand for price range and acquisition hurdles; and “industrial base risk,” which refers to the influence of price range instability on present and future corporations that feed the service’s manufacturing wants.
Even although Brown spoke on the identical day Congress finalized a full price range for the present fiscal 12 months, he emphasised that delaying budgets has a direct and opposed influence on safety.
“Any good strategy needs to be actionable, and it needs to be resourced. I know we’re getting close to a budget, but continuing resolutions are devastating to actually allowing us to move forward,” Brown stated, utilizing the time period for a short lived price range that retains the authorities from shutting down in the absence of a accomplished, remaining, full-year spending plan.
“Think about it. We’re six months into the fiscal year and we’re just now getting a budget. We’ve passed one budget in the past decade. If you line all those CRs together it’s over three years we worked without a budget. … If you’re trying to accelerate change, you can’t be spotting your adversaries three years.”
Like Brown and Raymond, Kendall famous the risks of delayed annual budgets, warning that they hamper modernization at a time when adversaries are closing the hole that in the previous separated the U.S. and its capabilities from their very own.
“We have a narrow window of opportunity to modernize our force and realize the change that is required to defend our homeland. Time truly is of the essence,” he stated.
“Continued investment in new capabilities ensures the nation has the cutting edge technology needed to remain competitive and stay ahead of our adversaries,” Kendall stated. “While divesting legacy and aging platforms is a necessary first step, this alone will not free the resources (the Department of the Air Force) requires to modernize. Significant additional resources are required to attain the (forces) the nation needs for the future.”
Brown defined what which means in the actual world and why the U.S. should improve its tempo.
“Since Desert Storm (in 1991), the Air Force is now half the size and the average age of our fleet has tripled,” he stated. “By comparison, since the 1990s, (China’s) Air Force has modernized their fighter fleet, increased their flight hours by over 60%. … Our rate of modernization has not kept pace with our adversaries.”
“The future Air Force must be resourced appropriately so we can prevail in a future conflict. We must fund the transition of the Air Force today to the Air Force we’ll need for tomorrow,” he stated.
