Networks - The Air Force's Newest Weapon Systems

Abstract

The current USAF organizational construct for network weapon systems is out of date, inefficient and does not adequately support emerging Information Operations objectives. Specifically, we have independent organizations functioning under completely different chains of command focused on the very same mission sets and objectives. As a result, the Air Force organizational structure, with respect to most network-related activities and operations, is fractured and extremely inefficient. Furthermore, the USAF does not have a centralized authority responsible to orchestrate collaboration and synergy among the various entities responsible for network concept of operations development, engineering and design, procurement, technician training, tactics, techniques and procedures or doctrine. As a result of what may be view as parochialism or self-preservation, several of these should-be interdependent organizations in fact operate in vacuums, functioning on unsynchronized timelines as self-serving, independent entities. These organizations suffer from what has been referred to as operational and organizational myopia. They remain so functionally or organizationally compartmented and internally focused, working their own respective agendas, that they in fact marginalized their own operational and institutional value to the larger USAF. Although the Air Force is in the midst of transforming the organizational structure to better support networks at the operational level by establishing an AFNetOps Command to oversee and coordinate all network operations under an architecture-based construct, it is not addressing the need to overhaul and realign at the strategic and tactical levels. In essence, the USAF is building a new operational structure on a fractured foundation and is likely destined to deliver suboptimum results.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 17, 2006
Accession Number
ADA476982

Entities

People

  • Von A. Gardiner

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Electronic Warfare
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Command And Control
  • Computer Network Security
  • Computer Networks
  • Computers
  • Electronic Mail
  • Employment
  • Information Systems
  • Information Warfare
  • Lessons Learned
  • Local Area Networks
  • Military Operations
  • Organizational Structure
  • Test And Evaluation
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapon Systems

Readers

  • Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.