ORAC
10th Feb 2024, 07:21
https://www.twz.com/news-features/air-force-to-totally-revamp-its-structure-to-compete-with-china
Air Force To Totally Revamp Its Structure To Compete With China
To counter the growing threat especially from China (https://www.twz.com/china-has-new-full-scale-target-of-americas-ford-supercarrier), the Air Force is undergoing major changes in how it operates and is organized.
Dubbed “Reopitmization for Great Power Competition,” details of the initiative will be unveiled Monday at the Air and Space Forces Warfare Symposium (https://www.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium/) in Denver by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall (https://www.twz.com/air-force-boss-gives-reality-check-on-over-hyped-digital-engineering-revolution) and other senior leaders, an Air Force official told The War Zone.
The changes will run the gamut from how the Air Force organizes its operational units to how it acquires new weapons systems, Andrew Hunter, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, suggested on Friday…….
Last week, Politico offered a glimpse (https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/02/air-force-command-overhaul-00139297) at what some of the specific changes might look like from major commands (MAJCOM) level down to the wing level.
“Within the next few weeks, the service will announce it is consolidating some of its major three- and four-star commands, integrating fighter jets and bomber aircraft into single units, and beefing up its budget and planning shop, according to six people familiar with the plans,” the publication reported…..
The Air Force has nine MAJCOMs. Some, like Air Mobility Command (AMC) (https://www.twz.com/usaf-general-warns-of-war-with-china-over-taiwan-in-2025) are functional, providing lift and refueling capabilities across the services. Air Combat Command (ACC (https://www.acc.af.mil/)) provides air combat forces while Global Strike Command (https://www.afgsc.af.mil/)provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global strike operation. Others, like U.S. Air Forces In Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa (https://www.twz.com/top-ukraine-war-lessons-from-usafs-commander-in-europe) (USAFE) cover regional Air Force responsibilities.Some of those MAJCOMs could be merged, Politico suggested.
At the operational unit level, the Air Force is considering a "composite wing" concept, where aircraft capable of taking out enemy air defenses, participate in air-to-air combat, and refuel all operate under one command structure instead of several……
The current concept of changing the wing structure had not been briefed at the senior level, an Air Force official told Politico, which added that none of the suggested changes were set in stone.
Kendall offered similar insights about how the flying branch will change to Air & Space Forces Magazine (https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/qa-getting-back-to-war-footing/) in an interview that published Jan. 26.
“...if we’re called upon to support an operation plan in the Pacific or in Europe, say, against a great power, we need ready deployable units, that can go do that job,” Kendall explained. “And that’s not what we have right now. … The units themselves have got to be structured to have all the capabilities they need when they go, and you want to have unity of command for those units. We don’t have that right now.“…..
Air Force To Totally Revamp Its Structure To Compete With China
To counter the growing threat especially from China (https://www.twz.com/china-has-new-full-scale-target-of-americas-ford-supercarrier), the Air Force is undergoing major changes in how it operates and is organized.
Dubbed “Reopitmization for Great Power Competition,” details of the initiative will be unveiled Monday at the Air and Space Forces Warfare Symposium (https://www.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium/) in Denver by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall (https://www.twz.com/air-force-boss-gives-reality-check-on-over-hyped-digital-engineering-revolution) and other senior leaders, an Air Force official told The War Zone.
The changes will run the gamut from how the Air Force organizes its operational units to how it acquires new weapons systems, Andrew Hunter, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, suggested on Friday…….
Last week, Politico offered a glimpse (https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/02/air-force-command-overhaul-00139297) at what some of the specific changes might look like from major commands (MAJCOM) level down to the wing level.
“Within the next few weeks, the service will announce it is consolidating some of its major three- and four-star commands, integrating fighter jets and bomber aircraft into single units, and beefing up its budget and planning shop, according to six people familiar with the plans,” the publication reported…..
The Air Force has nine MAJCOMs. Some, like Air Mobility Command (AMC) (https://www.twz.com/usaf-general-warns-of-war-with-china-over-taiwan-in-2025) are functional, providing lift and refueling capabilities across the services. Air Combat Command (ACC (https://www.acc.af.mil/)) provides air combat forces while Global Strike Command (https://www.afgsc.af.mil/)provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global strike operation. Others, like U.S. Air Forces In Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa (https://www.twz.com/top-ukraine-war-lessons-from-usafs-commander-in-europe) (USAFE) cover regional Air Force responsibilities.Some of those MAJCOMs could be merged, Politico suggested.
At the operational unit level, the Air Force is considering a "composite wing" concept, where aircraft capable of taking out enemy air defenses, participate in air-to-air combat, and refuel all operate under one command structure instead of several……
The current concept of changing the wing structure had not been briefed at the senior level, an Air Force official told Politico, which added that none of the suggested changes were set in stone.
Kendall offered similar insights about how the flying branch will change to Air & Space Forces Magazine (https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/qa-getting-back-to-war-footing/) in an interview that published Jan. 26.
“...if we’re called upon to support an operation plan in the Pacific or in Europe, say, against a great power, we need ready deployable units, that can go do that job,” Kendall explained. “And that’s not what we have right now. … The units themselves have got to be structured to have all the capabilities they need when they go, and you want to have unity of command for those units. We don’t have that right now.“…..