Lead Forward Mobility Air Force Command Nodes for Complex Operations
Abstract
United States Air Force (USAF) forces operating in forward areas must have command and control (C2) capabilities designed to withstand and cope with attacks on U.S. capabilities and to effectively adapt to a rapidly changing battle space. They must address the physical and cyber vulnerabilities of command nodes and networks. And they must be designed to retain effective C2 as both the supply of available forces and the mission prioritization changes. These issues challenge current command constructs even with all nodes and links fully functional. The USAF is developing a new force generation model to present defined forces, each of which will cycle through four stages of readiness over a two-year period that culminates in trained and ready units available for joint tasking. Defined forces will include C2 force elements (FEs), which are envisioned to be trained in preparation for the demands of future high-end operations. Air Mobility Command (AMC), the USAF's lead command for the Mobility Air Force(MAF), is considering how to structure, train, and present its forces to prepare to operate in environments that are more complex than in previous conflicts. In a contested environment, MAF C2 structures need to consider the survivability and effectiveness of their own forces, while also anticipating how the MAF will support operations of the combat air force (CAF), primarily the fighter and bomber aircraft of the USAF, as well as the joint and coalition forces that also rely on MAF capabilities. A further complication is that some MAF forces will remain under AMC's operational control, and some MAF forces will be placed under regional commands. AMC asked RAND to identify the demands the new USAF agility concepts will place on expeditionary wings. Develop alternative wing C2 constructs for expeditionary MAF forces, some potentially disaggregated, in forward areas under threat of missile attack. Provide a qualitative assessment of the alternative constructs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 16, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1201277
Entities
People
- Jeffrey S. Brown
- Michael J. Lostumbo
- Stephen W. Jr Oliver
Organizations
- RAND Corporation