The Air Force's Vector

Abstract : The sole focus of the Air Force is to carry out national defense policy from the air and space. The Army, Marine Corps, and Navy all use air assets, but the Air Force has the most complete perspective and portfolio concerning the development and employment of air and space power. This article discusses an unofficial view of how the Air Force will contribute to the joint force in the near future. The Air Force faces a number of challenges at the operational level. One is a high operational tempo. To meet a steady demand for air and space capabilities worldwide, the service must be able to surge rapidly to supply a large number of assets including Airmen, aircraft, and other systems for multiple, simultaneous contingencies. Responsiveness requires lashing together surveillance capabilities, command and control assets, and people and systems on alert. Another challenge regards overseas basing and overflight rights. With the likelihood that there will be little time to prepare for an upcoming conflict, the military will need to be able to conduct long-range strikes, work with coalition partners, and establish, protect, and sustain bases in far-flung areas to provide forward-based air power. The proliferation of robust air defense systems poses another challenge to air and space operations. Adversaries are acquiring more modern surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft artillery, and fighter aircraft with advanced air-to-air missiles, creating integrated defensive systems that seek to deny the ability to operate aircraft over their territory. The Air Force must be able to defeat or suppress these threats rapidly to give follow-on forces the freedom to operate. There are three Air Force capabilities that will make the future joint force more potent: Persistent Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR); Global Mobility; and Rapid Strike.