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In this study, we discuss five issues for change, and our recommendations provide the framework needed to produce the project’s desired end state of a measurable and sustainable expeditionary process that meets combatant commanders’ requirements across the range of military operations. The Air Force continues to support CCDR requirements around the globe. However, the stresses in today’s operating environment have revealed weaknesses in the way the Air Force presents forces and capabilities in support of CCDR needs. The challenge is to change current processes so that every deployment is not a custom-made wooden shoe....

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Executive Summary ix Introduction 1 Organize-Train-Equip 7 Force Presentation Model 15 Force Generation and Presentation 21 Training, Education, and Strategic Communication 25 Conclusion 31 Notes 32 List of Acronyms 33...

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Technology Horizons is our vision for key Air Force science and technology investments over the next decade that will provide us with truly game-changing capabilities to meet our strategic and joint force responsibilities. The coming decades hold high promise for amazing new capabilities across the air, space, and cyber domains. Yet the Air Force and our nation will also be confronted with substantial strategic, technology, and budget challenges. Our greatest advances will come with a focused investment of resources in the most promising technologies. The vision in Technology Horizons provides the shared awareness of the challenges and opportunities that will enable us to achieve this focus....

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . . . . . vii FOREWORD BY THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE AND CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE AIR FORCE . . . . ix PREFACE BY THE CHIEF SCIENTIST OF THE AIR FORCE . . . . xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . xv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . xvii 1 INTRODUCTION . . . . 1 A Vision for Air Force Science and Technology 2010–30 . . . . 1 Lessons Learned from Prior Air Force Science and Technology Visions . . . . 5 Organization and Conduct of Technology Horizons . . . . . 8 Organization of Results from Technology Horizons . . . . . 14 Caveats . . . . 16 2 STRATEGIC CONTEXT FOR AIR FORCE S&T 2010–30 . . . . . 19 Relation to National Security Objectives . . . . . 21 Technology-Derived Challenges to Air Force Capabilities . . . . . 22 Strategic Implications of S&T Globalization . . . . 38 Federal Budget Implications for Air Force S&T Strategy . . . . . 41 3 ENDURING REALITIES FOR THE AIR FORCE 2010–30 . . . . . 43 Ensuring Interoperability with Legacy Systems . . . . 43 Sustainment Costs for Legacy Systems . . . . . 43 Importance of Low-Observable Systems . . . . 44 Energy Costs and Availability . . . . . 44 Growing Role ...

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The purpose of this work is to provide the air planner with an air strategy that may, under certain defined conditions, be more likely to yield success than current air power theories. Our current stock of strategic ideas tend to rely on a unitary, rational actor assumption to describe the decision-making environments of our potential adversaries. We believe reliance on this simplistic assumption may skew the counterstrategy development process. We propose an alternate decision framework that identifies the importance of consensus decision making and the central role organizations often play in this complex process....

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1 INTRODUCTION. . . .1 Notes . . . . .3 2 ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCES ON NATIONAL DECISION MAKING. . . .5 Notes. . . . .10 3 AIR STRATEGIES. . . .11 Notes. . . .21 4 THE CZECHOSLOVAKIAN CRISIS—A CASE STUDY. . . . .23 Notes. . . .27 5 CONCLUSION. . . . .29 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . .33...

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This study seeks to answer the question, “If a joint force air commander finds it useful or necessary to operate at the theater level and one level below with mission-type orders or requests, what are the preconditions that must exist in order to make such a partially decentralized command system work?” To answer this question, the study examines theoretical perspectives on command and control,including those of Napoléon, the Germans, the Israelis, and former fighter pilot John R. Boyd. Following this theoretical survey, the study analyzes two historical case studies that exhibited both the use and non use of mission-type orders and requests in order to draw conclusions regarding the necessary preconditions in the categories of leadership, organization, communications technology, and procedure. These studies are Gen George C. Kenney’s air campaign in the Southwest Pacific during World War II and Operation Desert Storm....

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1 INTRODUCTION . . . . 1 Notes . . . . . . 5 2 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON COMMAND AND CONTROL . . . . . 7 Notes . . . . . . 14 3 MISSION ORDER COMMAND IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC . . . . . . 17 Notes . . . . . . 30 4 MISSION ORDER COMMAND IN OPERATION DESERT STORM: ITS PRESENCE AND ABSENCE . . . . . 33 Notes . . . . . . 45 5 CONCLUSIONS . . . . . 49 Notes . . . . . . 53 6 IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY’S AIR FORCE . . . . 55 Notes . . . . . . 63...

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Air Combat Command (ACC) relies on Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) systems for air-to-air combat training and large force employment flight debrief. Although extremely effective training enhancements, these systems are enormously expensive and typically require flight over restricted airspace ranges. These factors have prevented fleetwide implementation of ACMI training on a daily basis. This study presents a summary of the development of the current and proposed family of ACMI systems and the capabilities each system provides. The Kadena Interim Training System provides a suitable case study to compare requirements of current ACMI features to the capabilities available using internal components....

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1 BACKGROUND . . . . 1 2 ACMI CONCEPTS, SOLUTIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS . . . . 13 3 ACMI SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND KADENA INTERIM TRAINING SYSTEM . . . . . 21 4 PROPOSAL FOR INTERNAL SOLUTIONS . . . . . 27 5 POTENTIAL SYSTEM COMPONENTS AND CONFIGURATION . . . . . 45 6 POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES. . . . 55 7 CONCLUSIONS. . . . 63 8 RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . 67...

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This analysis of air control examines all three conceptual frameworks. By assessing the validity of the RAF and USAF models, this study finds that air control provides political and military leaders a military strategy for a smaller defense establishment. It also identifies shortcomings and advises caution when choosing the escalatory pattern of the control model....

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1 INTRODUCTION . . . . 1 Notes . . . . 4 2 BRITISH AIR CONTROL FROM 1922 TO 1936 . . . . . . 7 Notes . . . . 13 3 PROJECT CONTROL FROM 1953 TO 1954 . . . . . 17 Notes . . . . 24 4 THE PERSIAN GULF WAR FROM 1990 TO 1991 . . . . 29 Notes . . . . 35 5 ASSESSING AIR CONTROL . . . . . 39 Notes . . . . 46 6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION . . . . . 49 Notes . . . . 51...

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This paper addresses the question, “Will metamaterials facilitate an operationally feasible and significant optical stealth capability for the US Air Force?” To answer this question, the author’s research is directed at the advances and development patterns of optical band metamaterials; specifically, it addresses the leading indicators of frequency, bandwidth, and energy loss. Following that, a backcasting futures technique helps uncover the obstacles of metamaterial durability, suitability, and manufacturability. This paper concludes with a 20-year timeline for optical band metamaterial capabilities and applications....

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The study concludes with recommendations for rethinking the Air Operations Center. Methods for improving responsiveness include time-value based target analysis, greater use of alert or reserve forces, on-board mission planning, and limited decentralization, with mission-type orders and commander’s intent transmitted to lower echelons. Solutions for improving assessment include delegating target assessment functions to the wings, focusing theater-level intelligence personnel on mission assessment, using statistical and effects-based evaluation techniques, using Air Force Special Operations forces to evaluate target system degradation, and acquiring technology that can conduct “top-down” assessment of the enemy’s war-making systems....

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The analysis presented in this thesis evaluates the contents of past Air Force strategic vision documents and studies the process used to create such documents. The thesis argument is that strategic vision documents can fulfill important functions for an organization, and that greater attention to the process of creating these documents can result in a more effective final product....

Table of Contents Details
1 INTRODUCTION . . . . 1 Historical Perspective . . . . . . 2 Overview . . . . 3 Notes . . . . . . 4 2 STRATEGIC VISION PRINCIPLES . . . . . . 5 Vision, Defined and Explained . . . . . 5 Attributes of Vision . . . . . 6 Functions of Vision . . . . . 6 Importance of Vision for an Organization . . . . . 7 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps Vision . . . . . . 8 Notes . . . . . . 10 3 VISIONS FROM THE PAST . . . . 13 Air Power and the Future . . . . 13 The Air Force and US National Security: Global Reach—Global Power . . . . . 15 Global Reach—Global Power: The Evolving Air Force Contribution to National Security . . . . . 18 Notes . . . . . . 20 4 VISION: A PRESENT-DAY VIEW . . . . 23 An Interest in Updating Our “Guiding Construct” . . . . . . 23 Global Presence . . . . 23 Current Efforts for a New Strategic Vision . . . . 25 Notes . . . . . . 27 5 IMPROVING THE PROCESS . . . . . . 29 Phases in the Process for the Vision Architect . . . . . 29 Lesson Implications . . . . 38 Conclusion . . . . . . 38 Notes . . . . . . 39 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . 41...