Factoring Security Cooperation into Core U.S. Air Force Decisionmaking Processes

Abstract

Security cooperation (SC) is a key component of U.S. national security strategy and is a high priority in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) guidance. Congress has recently placed a great deal of emphasis on planning and assessing SC and consolidating the statutes that authorize it. Underscoring the priority he likewise places on SC, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF) has termed it a core mission of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and has identified international air chief as one of the hats he wears. Likewise, the Secretary of the Air Force has directed institutional reform efforts to strengthen alliances and partnerships. Because it is a core mission, it is critical for USAF to explicitly factor SC into its plans and programs to organize, train, and equip (OT and E) the force to ensure current and future capability. This has been a challenge for a variety of reasons, not least of which is that SC is pervasive across other missions yet is not broadly considered a mainstream activity of the militaryit is seen as a tax on what the military does to prepare for its main mission of fighting wars. However, given the high strategic emphasis on SC, these challenges do not absolve decisionmakers in USAF and other services of incorporating SC impact (in terms of potential risks and opportunities) into plans, programs, and initiatives. This report reviews two core USAF decisionmaking processesthe strategy, planning, and programming process (SP3) and the capability development and acquisition (CD/A) processto provide insight into the extent to which SC impact is factored into decisions and to recommend improvements to decisionmaking processes that render incorporation of SC impact systematic and explicit.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2018
Accession Number
AD1086223

Entities

People

  • Beth Grill
  • David E. Thaler
  • Jefferson P. Marquis
  • Jennifer D. P. Moroney
  • Stephanie Pezard

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Air Force
  • Airframes
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Doctrine
  • Employment
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Flight Training
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • Maintenance
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Students
  • Transport Aircraft
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Systems Analysis and Design