AF identifies operational shortfalls

  • Published
Air Force officials released a list of operational shortfalls Dec. 17. The list came from a two-year analysis of current and future warfighting effects and capabilities, a process called a capabilities review and risk assessment.

The assessment identified and prioritized critical operational shortfalls in such areas as:

-- Global information grid. There is a need for a globally interconnected capability that collects, processes, stores, disseminates and manages information on demand to warfighters, policy makers and support people.

-- Battle-space management. There is a need to implement effects-based planning and provide a common operational picture to the warfighter.

-- Fleeting and mobile targets. There is a need to reduce the time needed to find, fix, track and target hostile forces.

-- Battle-damage assessment. There is a need for a toolkit and clarified definitions for commanders to determine effects-based decisions across the battle space.

-- Base defense. There is a need to clarify roles and responsibilities between the Air Force and sister services.

-- Cargo airlift. There is a need for a study to review requirements and prepare for possible force-structure changes

"These are some of the key examples on a corporate list of 50 prioritized capability areas," said Brig. Gen. Stephen Goldfein, director of operational capability requirements. "These priorities present the most significant and immediate Air Force-wide capability objectives."

The assessment, a transition from the old quarterly acquisition program review, is a new review process across six Air Force chief of staff-directed concept of operations areas. The areas include: global strike, global response, homeland security, global mobility, nuclear response, and space and command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

"This (assessment) will directly impact future Air Force investment strategy through the planning, programming, budgeting and execution process," Goldfein said.

The Air Force will continue to operationalize capabilities-based planning, both internally and within the joint community.

"This effort will assist these organizations to optimize each service's role as capabilities are developed for joint application," Goldfein said. "In the next two to three years, we'll work to infuse a 'capability-based culture' into (Department of Defense), joint and Air Force planning. The key to this process is to change from a threat-based, system-by-system requirements process toward an analysis methodology focusing on capability versus individual-weapons systems or programs."