USAF Strategic Architecture Outlines Scaling Up or Reducing Military Force Structure
laying down the rundown on the Air Force's hidden pursuit
The Air Force Chief of Staff, ol' Davey W. Allvin, has cracked the code on his hush-hush force redesign. According to him, this baby's all about fine-tuning the service's brainpower, giving them a Fight Club-style move to handle the ever-changing threats, or pocket change budgets.
"This design, it's more about steering our thoughts, giving us options to flow with the times, or deliver us from evil budget cuts," Allvin revealed during a recent hot-ticket interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Compared to other services' stiff blueprints, the Air Force's recipe's a bit more brainstormy. For instance, the Marines have their super detailed plan involving ditching tanks, scrapping bridging troops, and beefing up their missile artillery. On the other hand, the Air Force design leans more on creating a framework for thought than prescribing Aircraft MacGyver blueprints.
"The design's more about crafting the gameboard," Allvin shared. "Whether we're building a big squadron or a kid's army, that force can hold its own in the environment. How much it can bust some caps depends on the strength of our Air Force lineup."
With three "Mission Areas" as its battle stations, the Air Force is protecting its flanks with Mission Area 1 capabilities that can thrive in thick combat zones targeted by ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, or sneaky drone attacks. Mission Area 2 is a step down, providing range to attack from sanctuary zones. Lastly, Mission Area 3 is focusing on adaptability, prepping for a rainbow of potential aggressions under limited attack.
As for the specific weapons to tackle these threats, those details remain under the ol' Operation Stealth. However, they're working the current programs to the bone. The redesign will undoubtedly influence the Air Force's Integrated Capabilities Command's priorities too, according to Allvin and his Deputy Chief, Lt. Gen. David A. Harris.
"We're all about the high-end, low-end, asymmetrical weaponry that delivers the end game. Budget concerns? Don't cha worry, we're working on financial survivability, lethality, and agility to match the spectrum of threats," Allvin remarked.
The Air Force is currently eyeballing the future of its Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, with a verdict likely by the end of the year. They're also whipping up an experimental test squadron to test their semi-autonomous drones in the great, wide real world.
With a new Commander-in-Chief and his Republican posse waiting in the wings, the Air Force is preparing for an unknown fiscal future. While the incoming Trump administration hasn't spilled its Air Force budget beans, it seems they'll be stepping up spending by 18% to a whopping $205 billion. The nitty-gritty details about the Air Force budget from the House GOP aren't floating around in the search results.
As the Air Force prepares for uncertainty, Allvin doesn't sweat the haters who say the service doesn't have a clear vision for the future:
"Give me a budget number, and I'll show you the plan!" Allvin shot back.
"Some folks claims we've lost sight of our future. But we're aiming to trim our variables, so we're not caught off guard when the crunch time comes. We don't want to hoist ourselves on our own petard by over-investing in one thing rather than staying flexible," Allvin said. "It all depends on the dough."
- The Air Force's new design strategy involves creating a flexible framework for various threats, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drone attacks, and more, under the Mission Area 1 capabilities.
- The redesign of the Air Force's approach also encompasses the development of advanced technologies such as the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter and an experimental test squadron for semi-autonomous drones.
- In addition to traditional aircraft, the Air Force is looking to invest in high-end, low-end, and asymmetrical weaponry to enhance financial survivability, lethality, and agility in response to a broad spectrum of potential threats. The future budget allocation for these endeavors remains uncertain, as it will depend on the fiscal decisions made by the incoming Trump administration.
