Leveraging Joint Interoperability and Interdependence for Airpower
Abstract
Since the signing of the Key West agreement, the Air Force has slowly diverged from its primary responsibility of supporting the land component. Over the years, growing mistrust and competition for resources among the services, left unchecked by the Department of Defense (DoD), has lead to the development of parochial stovepipes within the service components. Even in the face of the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, which was designed to mandate joint interoperability and joint interdependence, service insular behavior has remained firmly ensconced as part of the way the Department of Defense conducts day-to-day operations. At the operational level, the Department of Defense has made significant strides in how they employ the force, but much work remains to be done at the service component (organize, train & equip) level, in order truly see Goldwater-Nichols to fruition. No better example of this dichotomy exists, than that of the DoD's key asymmetric weapon of airpower. In an environment of reduced resources, rapidly evolving threats, and dynamic operating environments, existing DoD airpower force structure is misaligned and does not provide adequate flexibility to support the broad spectrum of desired political outcomes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 12, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA540454
Entities
People
- Shawn G. Silverman
Organizations
- Air War College