America is an aerospace nation. During the last 100 years, U.S. air and space

competence has revolutionized the conduct of warfare, providing near-instantaneous

global reconnaissance and the ability to precisely strike any target, anywhere,

across the full spectrum of engagement, from combat operations to humanitarian

aid. This competence has contributed to our ability to deter wars, as well as

our ability to win them. However, in this new century, we find that rogue

nations, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the rapid spread of

information technology have the potential to threaten our national interests.

This changing security environment presents us with both unique challenges

and opportunities.

The Department of Defense is in the midst of numerous studies and analyses

—the results of which will undoubtedly influence our future aerospace strategy.

We must develop a force structure that, when teamed in joint or combined

operations, will be effective in maintaining the peace and preserving freedom.

We must also deepen and enrich the bonds of trust with the men and women

who serve in the Air Force in order to attract and retain the very best individuals.

We must continue to improve our policies, practices, and processes to make our

Service more effective and efficient. Finally, we must pay special attention to the

shrinking industrial base, and evaluate ways to improve our current acquisition

processes to ensure innovative future capabilities for the Nation.

I am pleased to submit to you the 2001 Air Force Posture Statement. I want to

thank the President of the United States and the Congress for their outstanding

support. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to lead the Air Force and to

serve with its outstanding men and women.

JAMES G. ROCHE

SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE

During the past decade, our nation has witnessed a fundamental change

in the conduct of warfare. The Air Force has molded and transformed

aerospace power into a crucial component of joint operations. Despite a

decade of decreasing manpower and increased operational deployments,

the Air Force has emerged as a force of choice for fast, flexible, and

decisive military engagement.

Our success is directly attributable to our outstanding people, and they

remain our highest priority. They are our nation’s best and brightest.

In order to improve the stability and predictability of their lives, we

transformed ourselves into an Expeditionary Aerospace Force — the EAF

— a revolutionary way to package forces for contingency operations. Our

vision remains an integrated aerospace force providing rapid aerospace

dominance across the full spectrum of military operations through global

vigilance, reach, and power.

We respectfully submit this 2001 Air Force Posture Statement to recount

our accomplishments during the past year and outline our plans for the

future. Without the steadfast support of the President and Congress,

our past successes would not have been possible. With your continuing

support, we will build upon those successes.

MICHAEL E. RYAN, GENERAL, USAF

CHIEF OF STAFF

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Overview .................................................................................... 1

Chapter 2 - America’s Air Force in 2000 ..................................................... 5

The Expeditionary Aerospace Force ..................................................... 5

Aerospace Operations ............................................................................ 7

Chapter 3 - America’s Future Air Force .................................................... 17

The Global Security Environment ........................................................ 17

Our Vision ............................................................................................... 18

Our Strategic Plan ................................................................................. 18

The Total Force....................................................................................... 18

Aerospace Integration ........................................................................... 20

Evolving the Full-Spectrum EAF .......................................................... 21

Operations in the Future Global Security Environment ..................... 21

Homeland Security ................................................................................ 22

Urban Operations .................................................................................. 23

Science and Technology Commitment ................................................ 24

Conclusion ............................................................................................. 25

Chapter 4 - Roadmap to the Future ........................................................... 27

People ..................................................................................................... 27

Readiness ............................................................................................... 34

Modernization ........................................................................................ 38

Aerospace Superiority ..................................................................... 38

Information Superiority.................................................................... 42

Precision Engagement..................................................................... 47

Global Attack .................................................................................... 48

Rapid Global Mobility....................................................................... 50

Agile Combat Support ..................................................................... 52

Innovation and Adaptation.................................................................... 53

Conclusion ............................................................................................. 55

Chapter 5 - Reforming Business Practices .............................................. 57

Leveraging Information Technology .................................................... 57

Competitive Sourcing............................................................................ 58

Privatization ........................................................................................... 58

Acquisition Reform................................................................................ 58

Partnership with Industry ..................................................................... 59

Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System Reform .................. 59

Financial Reform.................................................................................... 60

Logistics Transformation ...................................................................... 60

Depot Maintenance Strategy ................................................................ 60

Conclusion ............................................................................................. 61

Chapter 6 - Closing Thoughts .................................................................... 63

1

Chapter 1

operations necessitates we have a certain number

of units ready to deploy in the first thirty days

of conflict. This is the basis of our readiness

requirement of 92%. Since 1996, our worldwide

combat force readiness rates have decreased 23

percentage points to a rate of 68% in April 2001.

Furthermore, our overall Air Force readiness

is lower than any time since June 1987. We

are capable of winning today; however, we

are concerned about these trends in readiness

indicators. A major factor in the decline is the

increasing age of our aircraft. For example, our

flying hours have remained relatively constant

over the past five years, but their cost has

increased by over 45% after inflation. Older

aircraft are simply more difficult to maintain

as mechanical failures become less predictable,

repairs become more complicated, and parts

become harder to come by and more expensive.

But, even with these contributing factors, we had

the best year in our history for aviation safety, a

clear measure of our people’s professionalism.

Modernization

Today, the average age of our aircraft is almost 22

years old. Even if we execute every modernization

Overview

As we transition to the new century, even the new

millennium, we will use this posture statement to

reflect on what the Air Force accomplished during

2000, where we want to go in the future, and how

we plan to get there.

We’re a service emerging from a decade of

continuous transformation. During this period,

we have molded and transformed aerospace

power into a crucial component of joint operations.

We defined ourselves with “integrity first,

service before self, and excellence in all we do”

and developed ourselves to be “fast, flexible,

and decisive.”

“We have molded and

 transformed

 aerospace

 power into

a crucial component

of joint operations.”

It was also a time that took a heavy toll on

our people and our systems. Therefore, we are

developing new initiatives in our People, Readiness,

and Modernization programs. If we are to continue

to protect America’s interests with aerospace power,

we must implement these initiatives.

People

The state of the economy has exerted considerable

pressure on our ability to retain and recruit the right

people. Frankly, it is difficult to compete with the

financial compensation available in the private

sector. Consequently, taking care of our people is our

top priority. Taking care of people starts with their

professional lives, so that they are satisfied with the

work they do and know they’re accomplishing

something important. It also, of course, means

providing them attractive compensation, benefits,

housing, and facilities that show we value their

efforts and care about their families.

Readiness

Our dominance of the full spectrum of operations

tends to overshadow what has happened to our

readiness. Responding across this full spectrum of

We must recruit the individual but retain the family.
2

program on our books — which amounts to

procuring about 100 aircraft per year in the near

future — our aircraft average age continues to rise,

reaching nearly 30 years old by 2020. In order

to level off this increasing trend, we would

have to procure about 150 aircraft per year. To

actually reduce the average age of our aircraft, we

would need to procure about 170 aircraft per year.

Similarly, where as industry replaces or totally

renovates their facilities on a 50-year cycle,

competing priorities have resulted in a 150-year

facilities recapitalization rate. We are in a position

where we can only address the most urgent

repair issues, while our backlog of real property

maintenance continues to grow. We are working to

slow down the aging of our fleet and infrastructure, but

the climbing costs of operations and maintenance,

as well as competing modernization effectiveness

goals, continue to prevent that from happening.

Consequently, we do not have the procurement

funding to recapitalize our fleet and facilities to

the extent that we would like.

However, even with these challenges, we have

molded and transformed aerospace power into a

crucial component of joint operations. Because

of this, we have expanded our vision for the

future. Our new Vision 2020 — Global Vigilance,

Reach and Power captures the philosophy that

transformed us into a “force of choice” for

rapid expeditionary operations. Our strategic

plan institutionalizes this vision by linking the

capabilities we need in the future with what we

do best — our core competencies.

Nothing illustrates our culture of transformation

better than the Expeditionary Aerospace Force —

the “EAF.” In October 1999, the heavy demand for

Aerospace Superiority- The ability

to control what moves through air and

space...ensures freedom of action.

Information Superiority- The ability

to control and exploit information to our

nation’s advantage...ensures decision

dominance.

Global Attack- The ability to engage

adversary targets anywhere, anytime...

holds any adversary at risk.

Precision Engagement- The ability

to deliver desired effects with minimal risk

and collateral damage... denies the

enemy sanctuary.

Rapid Global Mobility- The ability to

rapidly position forces anywhere in the

world... ensures unprecedented

responsiveness.

Agile Combat Support- The ability to

sustain flexible and efficient combat

operations...is the foundation of success

Core Competencies

Modernization of our aircraft is essential to ensuring future Air Force capabilities. In order to maintain our

asymmetric advantage and ensure aircrew safety, we must take action to halt the rapidly increasing age of our

fleet. The venerable KC–135 (shown above) now averages close to 40 years of age.
3

aerospace power drove us to restructure our forces

so we could inject some stability and predictability

into the lives of our people. By December 2000,

we had completed the first full rotation cycle

of the EAF. In the span of less than two years,

we succeeded in restructuring ourselves into a

more sustainable, flexible, and responsive force.

We now give the Commanders-in-Chief (CINC)

expeditionary aerospace packages that are tailored

and trained-to-task to meet their full mission

requirements.

“In the span of less than

two years, we succeeded in

restructuring ourselves into

a more sustainable, flexible,

and responsive force.”

In 2000, we were involved in the full spectrum of

operations — from famines, fires, and hurricanes to

major contingency operations. Yet, the diversity

of these missions didn’t stifle us; it stimulated our

creativity. We’re already light and lean, so now

we’re pushing the envelope with technologies that

will revolutionize the way we deliver aerospace

power for the nation. We are developing directed

energy weapons capable of effects at the speed of

light; unmanned aerial vehicles that reduce the risk

to our people while giving us greater capability

at a lower cost; space technologies that radically

increase the effectiveness of our aerospace

operations; and aircraft like the F-22 that are more

survivable and lethal than our current fighters.

We don’t wait until we’re forced to improve —

innovation and adaptation are our heritage.

Our creativity also extends to how we conduct

business inside our organization. We are realizing

significant cost efficiencies by benchmarking

the best in commercial and government business

practices and adapting them to our unique

environment. We are leveraging technology by

integrating our people, operations, and oversight

into a globally-connected, enterprise-wide, and

secure information network. We are conducting

manpower and program competitions to take

advantage of the best opportunities for outsourcing

and privatization. And we’re improving the way

we plan, program, acquire, and protect our air,

space, and information systems. Our reinvention

teams have saved more than $30 billion during the

last decade. Of course better business practices

aren’t a choice; they’re necessary to maximize the

returns on our nation’s investment.

We enhance the quality of life of our members by

using the EAF to effectively package aerospace

capabilities for predictable operational

deployments.

This posture statement will give you a good idea

about where we’ve been, where we’re going,

and what’s necessary to remain the world’s best

aerospace force. Aerospace power is America’s

asymmetric advantage, and we’re determined to

make sure America keeps it.

Operation ALLIED FORCE proved the

overwhelming advantage of rapid aerospace

dominance.

5

The EAF includes both deployable and nondeployable warfighting and support forces. Our

deployable AEFs are 10 packages of aerospace

power. They provide us with the rotational

base required to conduct multiple, concurrent

small-scale contingencies, immediate crises, and

“pop-up” engagements. These AEFs must be

fully resourced to provide the full spectrum of

aerospace power capabilities required by the

warfighting CINCs. Our AEF Prime forces include

those operational capabilities not organically

assigned to the AEFs. They comprise our nuclear

alert, regional command and control, and space

operation forces, without which we could not meet

our steady-state and contingency commitments.

The AEFs are deployed and sustained by a robust

mobility force called EAF Mobility. EAF Mobility

is the nation’s fastest system to transport the most

urgent cargo, from troops and equipment to

humanitarian aid. Underlying the AEFs, AEF

Prime, and EAF Mobility is EAF Foundation —

the acquisition, medical, depot, training, and

infrastructure resources needed to keep the other

parts of the EAF operating.

The EAF offers predictability for commanders

to reconstitute, train, and organize their assigned

forces to better meet their upcoming contingency

requirements. Two AEFs are on-call every 3 months

The EAF combines all aspects of aerospace power.

EAF Structure Chapter 2

America’s

Air Force in 2000

In 2000, we participated in the full spectrum

of military operations — from deterrence and

combat contingency operations to humanitarian

aid and disaster assistance. Across this spectrum,

it was Global Vigilance, Reach, and Power that

was essential for assuring U.S. national security

and international stability. We provided global

vigilance using our intelligence, surveillance,

and reconnaissance (ISR) assets; force protection

measures; and deterrence missions. Our mobility

assets and pre-positioned munitions contributed

to our global reach. Finally, we displayed global

power in Iraq and the Balkans with our unmatched

capability to create precise military effects when

called upon or threatened. These three facets of

aerospace power are interdependent, collectively

providing rapid aerospace dominance for

America. Perhaps most importantly, all these

accomplishments were against the backdrop of

a pivotal transformation in the way we structure

our forces to support expeditionary operations.

This chapter will describe these efforts during

the past year.

The Expeditionary Aerospace Force

This year we completed our organizational

transformation to an Expeditionary Aerospace Force

— the EAF — a groundbreaking approach to

organizing aerospace capability. Given the demand

for aerospace forces over the past 10 years, we

designed a capability-based force structure to ensure

that on-call, rotational forces can effectively meet

both our steady-state and “pop-up” commitments,

while giving our people more predictability and

stability in their deployment schedules. We began

implementing the initiative in October 1999, and

successfully completed the first full rotation of our

ten Aerospace Expeditionary Forces — the AEFs

— in December 2000.

“...Expeditionary Aerospace

Force — the EAF — a

groundbreaking approach

to organizing aerospace

capability.”

5

AEF Prime

Operational capabilities not organically 

assigned to AEFs — from regional 

command, control, and intelligence to space 

capabilities to the umbrella of deterrence.

AEFs

The AEFs represent the core of 

our deployable combat power and 

forward-presence capability.

EAF Mobility

Provides the ability to deploy and sustain

expeditionary forces.

EAF Foundation

Support capabilities not organically assigned 

to AEFs that underpin expeditionary 

operations — acquisition to logistics, health 

care to education and training.
6

Dec 00 Mar 01

Rapid Response AEWs

Lead Mobility Wings

Expeditionary

Base Leadership

Forces

Jun 01 Sep 01 Dec 01 Mar 02

AEF 1&2

AEF 3&4

AEF 5&6

AEF 7&8

AEF 9&10

2 BW

Barksdale

28 BW

Ellsworth

319 ARW

Grand Forks

366 WG

Mt Home

366 WG

Mt Home

27 FW

Cannon

1 FW

Langley

92 ARW

Fairchild

355 WG

D-M

20 FW

Shaw

22 ARW

McConnell

3 WG

Elmendorf

48 FW

Lakenheath

60 AMW

Travis

388 FW

Hill

7 BW

Dyess

43AW

Pope

4 FW

Seymour Johnson

Reconstitution Training Deployment Preparation

4 FW

Seymour Johnson

within the full-rotation period of 15 months.

Additionally, two Aerospace Expeditionary Wings

(AEW) supplement these AEFs, alternating on-call

duties every 120 days for “pop-up” conflicts. Two

AEFs and one AEW represent about 20% of our

combat forces, which equates to the maximum

commitment the Air Force can maintain indefinitely

without adversely impacting training or readiness.

If tasked beyond this level, we would conduct

surge operations as required. Upon completion

of large-scale operations, the EAF would then

reconstitute before beginning a new rotational

cycle. From now on, we will use the EAF

to provide Joint Force Commanders

trained-to-task, capability-based

packages to meet their

specific requirements.

AEFs offer many

operational advantages:

• An AEF is fast — our

goal is to deploy one

AEF, or about 120

aircraft and 10,000

airmen, within 48 hours, and we strive to

provide up to 5 AEFs in 15 days.

• An AEF is light and lean — our global

command and control infrastructure

allows high-fidelity operational support

in near real-time from the continental

U.S. This enables a “reachback” capability

that helps minimize the deployment of

supporting equipment and personnel and

simplifies force protection.

• An AEF is lethal — it

is capable of striking more

than 200 targets per day.

• An AEF is flexible — we

provide a tailored, trained-totask, strategically relevant

force that rapidly projects power

anywhere in the world.

Lessons learned from the first EAF

rotation are improving the force’s

expeditionary structure and concepts of

 operations. For example, our low density/high

demand (LD/HD) platforms, such as the Airborne

Warning and Control System (AWACS) and U–2

reconnaissance aircraft, have been strained by

supporting continuous operations — deploying

up to five times more frequently than other forces.

As a short-term remedy, we stood-up another

AWACS squadron (without procuring additional

aircraft) to better align the squadrons with the AEF

rotation. For the long-term, instead of procuring

more LD/HD platforms, we are developing

transformational solutions to perform these

missions more effectively, while providing more

persistence over the target area. For example, we

are exploring the transition of the U–2 and other

over-tasked ISR missions to unmanned aerial

vehicles (UAVs), common wide-body (multi-radar)

aircraft, and/or space-based assets. These future

Two AEFs are on-call every 3 months within the full-rotation period of 15 months. Every 120 days, the two

AEWs rotate into a standby status for “pop-up” conflicts.

EAF Rotational Schedule
7

capabilities should arrest some of the operations

tempo issues facing our most critical LD/HD assets.

The success of the EAF depends on the vital

contributions of all the components of the Total

Force — active, Guard, Reserve, civilians, and

contractors. The stability of the 15-month cycle

has allowed the Air Force Reserve and Air National

Guard to meet (or even exceed) their programmed

10% tasking to the EAF. Our reserve components

currently provide the EAF about 7% of its

expeditionary combat support, 20% of its combat

forces, 33% of its air refueling assets, and 44%

of its intratheater airlift.

Aerospace Operations

Aerospace power can bring a rapid halt to human

suffering or attacking forces. Our presence in

struggling regions of the world, like East Timor

and Mozambique, brings help where it is needed,

builds goodwill, improves international relations,

and provides valuable real-world training.

Alternatively, we can create military effects against

our adversaries, like we have done in the Balkans

and Southwest Asia.

“Aerospace power can bring a

rapid halt to human suffering

or attacking forces.”

Our aerospace forces have the flexibility and agility

for simultaneous engagement across the full

spectrum of military operations. We are prepared

to maintain regional stability, protect national

interests, and help win America’s wars whenever

called. The following are a few of the operations

in which we participated this year.

Spectrum of Operations

Any commitment greater than two AEFs and one AEW would require us to conduct surge operations.

Transition Major 

Theater War

Small Scale Reconstitution

Contingency

Trigger 

Point

Time

Forces Committed

2 AEFs + AEW

Surge

Reconstitution

~20%

Steady State

Crisis Response/Humanitarian Relief Ops (HUMRO)

Low Density/High Demand

(LD/HD) Assets

Global Force Management Policy

HH–60G — Pave Hawk combat search and

recovery helicopter

HC–130N/P — Combat Shadow combat search

and recovery version of the C–130 Hercules

E–3B/C — Sentry Airborne Warning and Control

System (AWACS)

EC–130E — Commando Solo airborne radio

and television broadcast aircraft

EC–130H — Compass Call Airborne Command,

Control, and Communications (ABCCC) aircraft

RC–135J — Rivet Joint electronic intelligence

and warfare aircraft

U–2R — Dragon Lady high altitude surveillance

aircraft

E–8B — JSTARS Joint Surveillance Targeting

and Attack System

RQ–1 — Predator unmanned aerial vehicle
8

Operation STABILISE

When the province of East Timor attempted to

break away from Indonesia, the resulting conflict

caused thousands of residents to flee their homes.

The U.N. relied on our airlift to deliver the

manpower and supplies to stabilize the region.

Intertheater airlift, provided by C–5s, C–141s,

and C–17s, transported 1,580 Thai peacekeepers

to the region. Intratheater C–130H aircraft

from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, flew over 600

hours transporting more than 1,800 personnel

and 1,250 tons of combat support equipment

and humanitarian aid to Dili and Komorro in

East Timor.

Air Force loadmasters secure an Australian military

trailer inside their C–130 aircraft during Operation

STABILISE. We provided logistics, communications,

and planning support to international forces in

East Timor.

Three HH–60 Pave Hawk helicopters lift off from

Hoedspruit Air Force Base, South Africa, headed

to Beira, Mozambique, where they distributed

relief supplies and rescued stranded flood victims

as part of Operation ATLAS RESPONSE.

in support of the Kosovo Forces (KFOR) and

Stabilization Forces (SFOR). Yet this statistic

significantly understates our contribution to these

Balkan operations. Our fighter, tanker, command

and control (C2), ISR, and airlift aircraft; C2

facilities; combat search and rescue forces; special

operations units; UAVs; and space-based resources

were indispensable to the performance of all joint

and coalition operations.

United States Wildfire Relief

Our people played a pivotal role fighting the worst

wildfires to ravage the western United States in

50 years. In 48 airlift missions, we transported

330 tons of cargo and over 5,900 Army, Marine,

and civilian firefighters to Idaho, Montana, and

California. Three Air National Guard and one

Reserve C–130 aircraft, equipped with the Modular Operation ATLAS RESPONSE

In March 2000, flooding devastated Mozambique,

driving hundreds of thousands of people from their

homes. We responded as part of Joint Task Force

ATLAS RESPONSE, flying more than 600 sorties

that delivered 970 tons of crucial supplies. Crews

flying C–130s and C–17s transported nearly 2,000

non-governmental relief workers to Maputo,

Mozambique’s capital city, and Beira, the country’s

second largest city. Rescue and special operations

crews played a key role ensuring supplies were

distributed properly.

Balkan Operations

In 2000, we conducted 16%, or about 2,000 of

the 12,000 combat sorties flown in the Balkans

Balkan Sorties

In addition to flying 16% of the combat sorties,

we provided 100% of the special operations

sorties, 71% of the tanker sorties, and 38% of the

airlift sorties.

NATO Allies

67%

USAF

16%

USA, USN

& MC

17%
9

Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS), flew

870 missions and dropped almost 2.3 million

gallons of fire suppressant across 19 states within

a six-month period.

Southwest Asian Operations

During 2000, we maintained a continuous presence

of 8,000 airmen in Southwest Asia in support

of Operations NORTHERN WATCH and

SOUTHERN WATCH. Our aerospace superiority

assets (including air, space, and information

systems) produced an environment that permitted

more than 23,000 coalition combat sorties without

a single combat loss. Of these sorties, 63%, or

14,500, were flown by the Air Force. We responded

to Iraqi no-fly zone violations and air defense

threats with precision-guided munitions (PGMs),

destroying a significant portion of Iraq’s antiaircraft artillery systems, threat radars, and

command centers.

 Northeast Asian Operations

As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of the

Korean War, we continue to maintain a significant

presence in South Korea and Japan, and conduct

joint and combined exercises with the host nations.

COPE THUNDER, executed in early 2000,

provided realistic training for aircrews, operations

and logistics personnel, and selected C2 operators

by exercising complex combat operations across

the Pacific Theater. We also participated in exercise

ULCHI FOCUS LENS, the world’s largest annual

joint and combined computer simulation war game

The Air National Guard has taken the lead to

procure the next generation Modular Airborne

Fire Fighting System (MAFFS).

More than 63% of these sorties were flown with our

assets, while the Army, Navy and Marine Corps flew

approximately 26% of the sorties during the same

period. Coalition forces flew the remaining 11%.

SW Asian Sorties

Coalition

Forces

11%

USAF

63%

USA, USN

& MC

26%

conducted with the Republic of Korea’s national

mobilization exercise “ULCHI.”

Deterrence

America deters potential aggression by maintaining

the ability and resolve to use overwhelming

force against any adversary. We maintain this

posture through our expeditionary, rapid global

mobility, nuclear, and space forces. The bomber,

with its unique strengths of flexible payload,

global range, and in-flight retargeting or recall,

is the cornerstone of our conventional and

nuclear force projection capability. Additionally,

the land-based intercontinental ballistic missile

(ICBM) provides a quick-reaction and highly

Exercises such as COPE THUNDER, coupled

with our ongoing presence in Northeast Asia,

promote stability and foster positive relationships

in the region.
10

reliable force with a mission capable rate

above 99%.

Counter-Nuclear,

Biological, Chemical Operations

The potential use of weapons of mass destruction

(WMD) against America and its allies is one of

the most complex threats facing the DoD. Our

balanced response to the proliferation of WMD,

as outlined in our recently completed Air Force

Counter-Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC)

Operations Doctrine document, integrates the four

pillars of counterproliferation — proliferation

prevention, counterforce strategies, active defense

efforts, and passive defense measures. Proliferation

prevention restricts the spread of NBC weapons

through political and diplomatic efforts, such as

export controls and treaty agreements, but may

also include denial operations when directed by

the National Command Authorities. Counterforce

operations include attacking an adversary’s

NBC weapons and their associated production,

transportation, and storage facilities prior to their

use. Active defense focuses on intercepting

We are the lead Service for the ongoing

Restoration of Operations project, a joint

advanced concept technology demonstration

(ACTD) exploiting mature technologies to cope

with chemical or biological attacks.

conventional and unconventional NBC delivery

systems before they reach friendly forces.

Finally, passive defense measures, including force

protection, protect our people from the effects of

an NBC attack and enable sustained aerospace

combat operations.

Our counter-NBC operational readiness initiative

sets Air Force-wide standards for readiness,

identifies shortfalls, and develops capabilities to

effectively cope with NBC attacks. This initiative

includes our recently developed counter-NBC

roadmap and chemical warfare concept of

operations (CW CONOPS). The roadmap is an

innovative investment strategy that cuts across all

facets of Air Force plans and programs to increase

counterproliferation visibility. The CW CONOPS,

developed by our Pacific forces, is a plan to help

us maintain high-paced operations during NBC

attacks on air bases.

Augmenting our sensor capabilities, our Global

Expeditionary Medical System (GEMS) is a

worldwide medical surveillance network that

detects trends in deployed patients’ symptoms and

diagnoses to determine exposure to biological

warfare agents.
11

Our Force Protection Battlelab, in cooperation

with the Air Combat Command Surgeon, developed

the rapid biological agent identification (RAPID)

initiative to identify biological agents within

hours instead of days. RAPID’s detection of an

impending salmonella outbreak at Prince Sultan

Air Base, Saudi Arabia, limited the spread to only

3% of the base population.

In support of the AEFs, we organized and equipped the 820th Security Forces Group to provide stand-alone, rapidly

deployable forces capable of securing operations at forward locations.

Force Protection

Force protection comprises the activities that

prevent or mitigate hostile actions against our

people and resources when they are not directly

engaged with the enemy. In 2000, our force

protection personnel made 41 vulnerability

assessments that were used to improve our physical

security, the safeguarding of our food and water

supplies, and our ability to respond to WMD

incidents both at home and abroad. We developed

a surface-to-air missile (SAM) footprint mapping

capability, which couples site-specific topography

with the effective range of hand-held SAMs, to

direct security forces to probable threat locations.

We have also instilled a force protection mindset

in our people by incorporating force protection into

the curriculum at all levels of professional military

education and as part of Warrior Week during basic

training. Protecting our people remains a top

priority at all command levels.

Information Assurance and Network Defense

Information assurance (IA) and computer network

defense are the strategy and means to deliver

crucial information securely to the warfighter.

We are in a daily battle for information superiority.

Our air tasking orders, flying schedules,

maintenance and logistics records, C2

, and

other operational functions are carried over our

networks, making them a key target for potential

adversaries. In 2000, we developed a plan to

integrate operations, people, technology, and

oversight through an enterprise-wide, networkcentric concept. This plan includes operations and

information protection; automated and dynamic

detection and response; consolidated situational

awareness and decision support; and IA in

deployed and classified environments. For

11
12

With a range of 4,000 miles, the U–2 is the

premier platform for high-altitude, airborne

reconnaissance.

Our active, Guard, Reserve, and CAP forces have

been continuously engaged in our nation’s war

on drugs by making significant contributions to

interdiction, eradication, and drug-demand reduction.

example, we monitor and evaluate network

anomalies detected by our automated security

incident measurement system (ASIMS).

This system recognizes the latest hacking

techniques to ensure early warning of attempted

penetrations into our systems.

Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Our air-breathing and space-based ISR assets

combine to provide America global vigilance by

exploiting the high ground and actively monitoring

the entire globe for emerging threats and treaty

compliance. They provide an integrated capability

to collect, process, and disseminate accurate and

timely information that allows our decision-makers

to rapidly analyze and respond to changing global

conditions, and enables us to obtain and maintain

decision dominance. In 2000, our ISR assets

monitored Iraqi compliance with U.N. sanctions as

part of Operations NORTHERN and SOUTHERN

WATCH and were key to providing critical

real-time decision-making information to NATO

leaders in the Balkans.

Counter-Drug Operations

We are actively supporting the National Drug

Control Strategy. Our AWACS and other ISR

assets, with tanker support, detect suspected drug

traffickers in the South American source zone and

monitor their activities through the Caribbean

transit zone to their arrival and apprehension in

the United States. Air National Guard forces

conduct the majority of our counter-drug missions,

employing an impressive variety of capabilities

from intelligence and airlift to ground-based

radar and fighter interception. The Guard’s

domestic counter-drug operations focused on

state and federal law enforcement support,

interdiction, eradication, and drug demand

reduction. The Reserve was also an important

participant, flying patrol missions, and

providing mobile training teams, intelligence,

and linguists. In 2000, the Reserve provided 68

personnel, flew 105 missions, and conducted 15

mobile training team deployments in support of

worldwide counter-drug operations.

Our civilian auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol (CAP),

joined the nation’s counter-drug program in 1986,

partnering directly with U.S. Customs and the

Drug Enforcement Administration. Since then it

has flown thousands of hours a year in support

of counter-drug efforts. During 2000, CAP

efforts prevented approximately $3 billion worth

of narcotics from entering the U.S. — a great

all-volunteer accomplishment. The active, Guard,

Reserve, and CAP are crucial partners in the

nation’s “war on drugs.”

Security Assistance

Cooperative foreign relationships are crucial

to building multinational coalitions, securing

international access, and sustaining our commercial

defense industry. In 2000, we managed more

than 3,800 contracts for sales of aircraft, spare

parts, munitions, and training valued at over $103

billion. These contracts included sales of over
13

240 F–16s to the United Arab Emirates, Greece,

Israel, and several other countries. Through the

foreign military sales and international military

education and training programs, we trained

approximately 4,600 international students in

warfighting and professional military education.

Our international armament cooperation program

co-developed and fielded interoperable weapon

systems that effectively leveraged DoD resources

by cost-sharing, employing foreign technical

expertise, and securing larger economies of scale

(reducing the cost per unit). Under this program,

we have reached more than 360 agreements with

our allies and coalition partners involving research

and development, production, equipment loans, and

scientific and technical information exchanges.

Safety

The safety of our people is a principal concern in

all our operations. A combination of increased

funding for aircraft improvements and the use of

operational risk management yielded positive

results in several safety categories. We had the

lowest flight mishap rate in our history — 1.08

major mishaps per 100,000 hours of flight time. On

the ground, we had our second lowest annual

number of off-duty fatalities, with 50 (24% below

our 10 year average of 65), and on-duty fatalities,

with 6.

“...the lowest flight

mishap rate in our history...”

We continue to build on this success with

innovative safety tools such as bird avoidance

warning systems; an automated system to expedite

mishap collection methods that supports operations

and acquisition decision making; and a quality

assurance system that ensures fleet-wide flight

safety deficiencies are rapidly corrected.

Conclusion

In 2000, we honored our tradition of operational

excellence — firmly establishing our position

as the National Command Authorities’ frequent

choice for fast, flexible, and precise military

response. We also have done something difficult

for many large organizations — we overcame the

inertia of the status quo, improving both how we

operate and the quality of life for our people.

We are now an Expeditionary Aerospace Force

— organizationally transformed to sustain

America’s aerospace advantage. Through

global vigilance, reach, and power, we wield

the unprecedented ability to observe events

around the globe, rapidly reach out to influence

them, and if necessary, bring to bear the force

needed to secure our national objectives.

In this chapter we recounted some of our activities

during the past year. In the next chapter we will

move from the present to the future. Specifically,

the discussion will turn to our understanding of the

type of capabilities we must pursue to successfully

contend with the future security environment.

Foreign millitary sales are crucial to building

multinational coalitions, securing international

access, and sustaining our commercial defense

industry.

Class A Mishap Rates

Class A mishaps include any mishap resulting

in more than $1 million in damage, a fatality or

permanent total disability, or destruction of an

Air Force aircraft. In 2000, we had the lowest

flight mishap rate in our history.

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

.5

0

75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01

Mishaps per 100,000 flying hours

FY
El Salvador

Canada

Bahamas

Jamaica

Chile

Haiti

France

United Kingdom

Wildfire Support

Venezuela

Operation FUNDAMENTAL RESPONSE 

Spain

JIATF East - COUNTER DRUG

Grenada

BelgBelg

Antigua & Barbuda Belize

Dominican Republic

Mauritania Mauritania

Icelandic Air Defense

El Salvador

Canada

Bahamas

Jamaica

Chile

Haiti

France

United Kingdom

Honduras

Wildfire Support

Venezuela

Operation FUNDAMENTAL RESPONSE 

Spain

JIATF East - COUNTER DRUG

Grenada

BelgBelg

Antigua & Barbuda Belize

Dominican Republic

Mauritania Mauritania

Icelandic Air Defense

USAF Participation in Operations 

Across the Spectrum of Conflict in FY00

JTF BRAVO 

• Space Operations

49 Operational Satellites in Orbit 

• JCS Exercise Locations with USAF

involvement (222 in 54 countries) 

• Support in Combat Operations 

• Humanitarian Missions

5 DoD Space Launches

6 DoD Space Launches
Italy

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Norway

Slovokia

Egypt

Turkey

Jordan

Bahrain

Oman

Hong Kong

South Korea Japan

Malaysia

Singapore

Philippines

Australia

Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic)

 Mozambique

Operation ATLAS RESPONSE

Nigeria

Operation FOCUS RELIEF 

n

South Africa

Thailand

Antarctica

Operation DEEP FREEZE

Operation SOUTHERN WATCH

Israel

Switzerland 

gium

Cameroon

Gabon

Georgia

Russia

Romania

Netherlands

Kazakhstan

Kuwait

Slovenia

Moldova

Ukraine

Tunisia

a

Estonia

EastTimor

Operation STABILISE

Balkan Air Operations (JOINT FORGE and JOINT GUARDIAN)

Operation NORTHERN WATCH

Italy

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Norway

Slovokia

Egypt

Turkey

Jordan

Bahrain

Oman

Hong Kong

South Korea Japan

Malaysia

Singapore

Philippines

Australia

Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic)

Mozambique

Operation ATLAS RESPONSE

Nigeria

Operation FOCUS RELIEF

n

South Africa

Thailand

Antarctica

Operation DEEP FREEZE

Operation SOUTHERN WATCH

Israel

Switzerland 

gium

Cameroon

Gabon

Georgia

Russia

Romania

Netherlands

Kazakhstan

Kuwait

Slovenia

Moldova

Ukraine

Tunisia

a

Estonia

EastTimor

Operation STABILISE

Balkan Air Operations (JOINT FORGE and JOINT GUARDIAN)

Operation NORTHERN WATCH

87,000 Air Force people providing

overseas presence either

forward based or forward deployed

17

to deny our ability to deploy stabilizing military

force. Today, we see many potential adversaries

developing theater ballistic missiles and other

anti-access capabilities to achieve this goal.

Renegade actors may use asymmetric means such

as terrorism, information warfare, or weapons

of mass destruction to radically enhance their

disruptive capabilities at a relatively low cost. We

experienced such a tragedy in 1996 when 19

deployed airmen were killed during the Khobar

Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. Other

transnational or small-scale contingencies, including

ethnic conflicts, international criminal activity,

or insurgencies, may threaten our interests or the

safety of our citizens (e.g., illicit drug activity

in Latin America). Non-state actors and criminal

organizations will continue to threaten American

interests through sophisticated technical means or

by physical attack. Crises that can spill over state

borders that require humanitarian assistance,

such as environmental disasters, will persist. We

recently responded to the floods in Africa and the

earthquakes in India.

The proliferation of ballistic and cruise missile

technology is creating an increasingly dangerous

strategic environment.

Space is an area where threats might emerge

in the coming decade. Some of our potential

adversaries have the ability to improve both their

offensive and defensive military capabilities with

commercially available space and information

technologies. At the same time, they may try

to neutralize our space assets, especially as space

becomes more vital to our military, civil, and

commercial interests.

Chapter 3 America’s

Future Air Force

The history of the Air Force is marked by an

unshakable dedication to the promise and potential

of aerospace power as envisioned by our

early pioneers. This enduring commitment has

kept us on the cutting edge through continual

organizational, operational, and technological

transformation. We no longer narrowly focus

on one overarching adversary, but rather on

full-spectrum employment of the Total Force

whenever our nation calls. In the new strategic

environment, we integrate air, space, and

information to dominate the entire vertical realm.

Indeed, we have transformed ourselves from

a forward-based, organizationally stovepiped

force structure to a forward-deploying, integrated

expeditionary force structure. Moreover, we

accomplished this through a steady, well-planned

process of continuous innovation. Given the

increasing complexity of warfare and an everchanging adversary, expeditionary aerospace

power offers an expanded range of strategic and

operational options across the entire spectrum of

engagement. Our commitment to technologies

such as stealth, precision standoff weapons,

and information warfare offers America new

strategic options with less risk. This continuous

transformation will preserve the nation’s vital

role in world leadership and the ability to defend

its interests around the globe.

The Global Security Environment

Today’s security environment is unique in

American history. We do not have a “peer

competitor,” nor are we likely to see one in the

near future. At the same time, we face a number

of uncertainties and potential challenges that

threaten America’s security and interests. These

threats include regional hegemonies, asymmetric

and transnational threats, and crises that may

require intervention for humanitarian purposes.

A hostile power, for example, may attempt to

dominate a region by intimidating our allies or

pursuing interests contrary to our own. Such a

power may use anti-access strategies that attempt

17
18

Ultimately, any national-level response is

predicated on the ability to rapidly adapt military

capabilities and operational concepts to precisely

achieve the desired objectives. We demonstrated

this ability during Operations DESERT STORM

and ALLIED FORCE, and we will be even more

formidable in the future. Should deterrence fail,

aerospace power is a force of choice for rapid

response with minimum risk to U.S. personnel

and non-combatants.

Our Vision

Our vision, America’s Air Force: Global Vigilance,

Reach, and Power — Vision 2020, published in

June 2000, provides a template for the ongoing

transformation of the Air Force and aerospace power

into the 21st century. Our vision underscores that

people — our Total Force — are the foundation

of the Air Force. We describe an aerospace

domain best exploited by an integrated air,

space, and information force. We present our

forces in capability-based packages, called

Aerospace Expeditionary Forces (AEF), each

built upon the pillars of aerospace expertise,

our core competencies — Aerospace Superiority,

Information Superiority, Global Attack, Precision

Engagement, Rapid Global Mobility, and Agile

Combat Support. In the end, our vision focuses

us on our mission: To defend the United States

and protect its interests through aerospace power.

Our Strategic Plan

We believe that aerospace power will be, indeed

must be, increasingly called upon as the nation’s

military instrument of choice in an uncertain

world. No other option is as fast, flexible, or

necessary to the execution of joint operations.

“...aerospace power will

be...increasingly called upon

as the nation’s military

instrument of choice...”

The Air Force Strategic Plan is the broad

framework to institutionalize our vision. It

anticipates the future security environment and

provides guidance on major force modernization

and investment strategies by identifying fourteen

critical future capabilities based upon the Air Force

Our vision reflects our dedication to continual

transformation, innovation, and adaptation.

core competencies and support areas. It is our

roadmap to the future.

The Total Force

Our Total Force builds on a foundation of high

standards and strong cooperation among our

During contingency operations, our Guard and

Reserve personnel work side-by-side with their

active duty counterparts.
19

CORE

COMPETENCIES Critical Future Capability Statements

Aerospace

Superiority 

• Rapidly dominate (within days) adversary air forces and air defenses 

to allow joint and coalition forces freedom from attack, freedom to 

maneuver, and freedom to attack.

• Consistent with international agreements, render an adversary’s 

cruise, land attack cruise, and ballistic missile assets ineffective 

before launch or soon after through timely and effective interaction 

with national and theater missile defense assets.

• Protect our space assets and deny, when directed, an 

adversary’s ability to exploit space.

• Provide continuous, tailored information within minutes of tasking 

with sufficient accuracy to engage any target in any battlespace 

worldwide.

• In conjunction with joint and national capabilities, ensure our use of

the information domain remains unhindered by all attempts to deny, 

disrupt, destroy, or corrupt it; also ensure our ability to attack and 

affect an adversary’s information and information systems in pursuit 

of military objectives.

• Create desired effects within hours of tasking, anywhere on the

globe, including locations deep within an adversary’s territory.

• Provide deterrence against WMD attack and coercion by maintaining 

a credible, land-based nuclear and flexible conventional strike force.

• Create precise effects rapidly, with the ability to retarget quickly 

against large target sets anywhere, anytime, for as long as required. 

• Provide the airlift, aerial refueling, and enroute infrastructure 

capability to respond within hours of tasking to support peacetime 

operations or a crisis (up to an MTW) while maintaining the capability 

to rapidly swing high-priority forces to another MTW.

• Build an aerospace force that enables robust, distributed military 

operations with time-definite sustainment. 

• Build a professional cadre to lead and command expeditionary 

aerospace and joint forces.

• Implement innovative concepts to ensure we recruit and retain the 

right people—active duty, reserve, guard, and civilian forces—to 

operate our aerospace force in the future.

• Achieve an unrivaled degree of innovation founded on effective 

integration and testing of new concepts, non-materiel innovations,

advanced technologies, and synergistic experimentation.

• Assess, plan, and direct aerospace operations anywhere from multiple 

locations in near-real-time, across the spectrum of operations and 

levels of command. 

Information

Superiority 

Global Attack

Precision 

Engagement 

Rapid Global 

Mobility 

Agile Combat 

Support 

CORE

COMPETENCY

SUPPORT AREAS 

Critical Future Capability Statements

Quality People

Innovation

Command and 

Control
20

Aerospace Integration

Our domain stretches from the earth’s surface

to the far reaches of our satellites’ orbits in a

seamless operational medium. However, even

with the best aircraft and spacecraft optimized

for their respective environments, the aerospace

effects we create hinge on our people and their

ability to rapidly and continuously integrate our

air, space, and information systems. Accordingly,

we have modified our command organizations

to take full advantage of the resulting synergy.

In September 2000, for example, we designated

the Aerospace Operations Center (AOC) as a

“weapon system” of the future. This hub of

advanced networks will gather and fuse the full

range of information in real-time — from the

strategic to the tactical level — giving Joint Force

Component Commanders actionable knowledge

to rapidly employ their forces in the battlespace.

“... the aerospace effects we

create hinge on our people

and their ability to rapidly and

continuously integrate our air,

space, and information

systems.”

Effectively employing integrated aerospace

power requires commanders who exploit the

entire aerospace continuum, both on a regional

and global scale. This new paradigm of

Victory in the future will depend on our ability to

develop leaders who understand the true power of

integrated systems.

active, Reserve, Guard, civilian and contractor

personnel. Simply stated, we could not perform

our mission without the combined contributions

of all components.

On any given day, members of the Guard

and Reserve work side-by-side with their

active duty counterparts. Today, our Guard

and Reserve assets account for 38% of our fighter

force, 60% of our air refueling capability, 71% of

our intratheater airlift, and significant portions of

our rescue and support resources. The Reserve

is the sole provider of unique capabilities such

as aerial spray, space shuttle helicopter rescue

support, and hurricane hunting, while the Guard

provides 100% of our homeland air defense

capability. Additionally, the Guard and Reserve

have an increasing presence in the bomber force

and in space, intelligence, and information systems.

Guard and Reserve units provide essential support

for training new pilots, manning radar and regional

control centers, performing flight check functions

at our depots, and conducting space operations.

Equally important, our civilian members and

contractors provide specialized administrative,

technical, and managerial expertise that

complement the functions performed by uniformed

members. Without these combined skills, we

could not operate as an expeditionary force.

In the future, we will foster an even closer and

more interdependent partnership between all

of our components through new organizational

structures and more interactive and flexible

career patterns.

Our domain stretches from the earth’s surface to

the far reaches of our satellites’ orbits in a

seamless operational medium.
21

an AEF can engage in a day. Finally, we will

improve our expeditionary combat support

capabilities — effective, responsive logistics are

the key to sustaining expeditionary forces and

operating from austere locations.

Operations in the Future Global

Security Environment

The changing security environment requires us to

change the way we plan and operate. Aerospace

power’s ability to perform effects-based operations

(i.e., focusing on achieving desired effects versus

creating target lists) means we can support the

joint force commander in ways unimaginable only

a few years ago. Our ongoing transformation

enables our long-range, standoff, all-weather

precision, and stealth capabilities to rapidly counter

any adversary’s attempt to deny us access to

a theater.

The full-spectrum EAF will include 10 aerospace

expeditionary forces of equal capability.

The proliferation of asymmetric threats requires

vigilance at home and abroad.

employment must be instilled in the minds of

airmen at all levels of Air Force professional

military education. To help achieve this end,

we created an Aerospace Basic Course for

newly commissioned officers to ensure they

understand the different elements of aerospace

power. Similarly, our Developing Aerospace

Leaders initiative is determining the best way to

cultivate the skills needed to lead in a dynamic,

changing environment. We are infusing air,

space, and information operators into all key

command and training courses to expand their

breadth of experience and core knowledge.

Finally, our Space Warfare Center established

a space aggressor squadron to increase the

awareness of threats from space-capable

adversaries and improve our ability to defend

against them.

Evolving the Full-Spectrum EAF

Providing the flexibility needed for full-spectrum

operations requires continued efforts to round

out the capabilities of our AEFs to make them

virtually interchangeable. Currently, our 10 AEFs

are not equal in capability. For example, only

three of the ten AEFs are equipped with long-range,

precision standoff strike capabilities, and only

nine have an F-16CJ squadron for suppression

of enemy air defenses.

As the EAF continues to mature and technologies

advance, we will expand the capabilities

each AEF can provide. We will enlarge the

battlespace an AEF can control; enhance our

ability to do real-time, adaptive targeting; and

dramatically increase the number of targets
22

“Through long-range stealth,

precision standoff weaponry,

and information operations,

we are able to project

substantial effects without

subjecting our forces to

substantial risk.”

This global strike capability, combined with

responsive logistics, will then help to achieve the

rapid halt of human suffering or threatening

forces. Lastly, the massing of joint firepower at

the time and location of our choosing will create

the conditions that permit the safe deployment

and employment of our joint forces. Once

deployed, our force protection measures will

provide defense against asymmetric threats.

Through long-range stealth, precision standoff

weaponry, and information operations, we are able

to project substantial effects without subjecting

our forces to substantial risk. Aerospace power’s

inherent versatility and precision form a large

part of this tremendous capability, giving our

leaders unprecedented strategic initiative and

flexibility now and in future operations. Aerospace

power is the nation’s asymmetric advantage.

Homeland Security

The Air Force has always contributed to homeland

defense by deterring aggressors, intercepting

intruders, and providing ballistic missile warning.

However, defending our homeland has assumed

new and daunting dimensions with the increased

threat of terrorism, the spread of information

warfare techniques, and the proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction. Our traditional

defenses are often incomplete against these

unconventional threats.

We are significant supporters of a multi-layered

missile defense system incorporating space-based

elements that provide effective, affordable,

global protection against a wide range of threats.

Future space capabilities like the Space Based

In World War II, it took 1,000 B–17 sorties

dropping 9,000 bombs to ensure destruction of

one target. During Operation ALLIED FORCE,

one B–2 with 16 bombs hit 16 different targets.

The Airborne Laser will engage boost-phase ballistic missiles while the F–22 will defend against cruise missiles.

Together, they will provide complementary capabilities that significantly improve the security of our nation.
23

to merge the disaster response plans of different

agencies so they will work together more

effectively. Developing a robust homeland defense

strategy is critical to the nation. The Air Force

stands ready today, as in the past, to contribute

our special capabilities, as well as develop new

technologies that can aid civil authorities in

combating any threat or attack to our homeland.

Urban Operations

By 2015, half the world’s 7.2 billion people will live

in urban centers. The growing migration to cities

means an increased likelihood that military targets

will be in close proximity to non-combatants.

We must, therefore, place special emphasis on

producing precise, predictable effects with minimal

collateral damage to surrounding structures.

Advances in target identification and precision

weapons delivery have propelled us from

committing multiple aircraft for each target

during World War II (e.g., 1,000 B-17 sorties

dropped 9,000 bombs to destroy one target in

1943) to utilizing a single aircraft to neutralize

multiple targets during Operation ALLIED FORCE

(e.g., one B-2 with 16 bombs hit 16 different

targets in 1999). We are pioneering a new class

of non-kinetic weapons that will create the desired

effects without death and physical destruction.

Advances in stealth technology and precisionguided munitions provided the Air Force with

the capability to conduct combat operations

in an urban environment. This advantage was

demonstrated in Operation ALLIED FORCE.

Members of the Small Portable Expeditionary

Aeromedical Rapid Response (SPEARR)

development team set up a module during a

field test.

Infrared System (SBIRS) will greatly enhance our

ability to track and engage ballistic missiles, while

space-based radar technologies (if transitioned

into deployed systems) will track fixed and mobile

ballistic missile launchers. The Airborne Laser

(ABL) will engage boost-phase ballistic missiles,

while the F-22, working with advanced ISR

systems, will defend against cruise missiles.

The Air Force expects to be a principal player

in any future missile defense system.

The Total Force brings a variety of capabilities

to the defense of our homeland. The Air National

Guard is positioned to ensure the air defense

of the nation while providing critical resources

like airlift, command and control, and disaster

preparedness response forces to other lead agencies

and the Joint Forces Civil Support Teams. Our

Air Force Medical Service is acquiring a variety

of modular packages that can be used to support

civilian authorities requesting our assistance at

home or abroad. The Small Portable Expeditionary

Aeromedical Rapid Response or “SPEARR” teams

deploy ten highly trained specialists within two

hours of notification with the capability to provide

a broad scope of care, including initial disaster

medical assessment, emergency surgery, critical

care, and patient transport preparation. In February

2001, we participated in a three-day bioterrorism

exercise, Alamo Alert, in San Antonio, Texas. This

tabletop exercise explored city, county, state, and

federal responses to the release of a biological agent.

We will use the lessons learned from this exercise
24

Large-scale conflicts will always include some

degree of devastation, but non-kinetic weaponry

and precision effects provide expanded options

for our nation’s leaders across the entire spectrum

of conflict. Precision effects also offer the potential

to significantly reduce the duration of a conflict

by concentrating our force on high-value military

targets. This minimizes collateral damage,

unintended consequences, and the accompanying

pressures such problems bring to coalition

cohesion.

“We are pioneering a new class

of non-kinetic weapons that

will create the desired effects

without death and physical

destruction.”

Science and Technology

Commitment

Our commitment to a strong science and technology

(S&T) program is fundamental to maintaining

aerospace dominance in the 21st century. We

continue to invest in a broad and balanced set

of technologies derived from basic research,

applied research, and advanced technology

development on a continuum of maturity levels

from short- to long-term. This time-scaled

approach keeps emerging capabilities in the

pipeline and fosters revolutionary developments.

“The Air Force S&T community

is working closely with

operators and strategic

planners to explicitly link

research activities with our

core competencies...”

The Air Force S&T community is working closely

with operators and strategic planners to explicitly

link research activities with our core competencies,

critical future capabilities, and future concepts of

operation. This effort has produced S&T goals in

the areas of time sensitive targeting; improved

command, control, and information systems;

survivability (defensive efforts); lethality and

neutralization (offensive efforts); and improved

power generation, propulsion, and vehicles. In

accordance with the FY01 National Defense

Authorization Act, we are also conducting a major

review of our S&T program to identify both shortterm objectives and long-range challenges.

No matter how strong our commitment to S&T,

however, our efforts will be jeopardized if we don’t

protect our developing technologies. We are taking

aggressive measures to safeguard existing and

emerging technologies from compromise that

would degrade combat effectiveness, shorten the

expected combat life of a system, or stall program

development.

Our S&T efforts are focusing on time sensitive

targeting; C2 and improved information systems;

survivability (defensive technologies); lethality

and neutralization (offensive technologies); and

improved power generation, propulsion, and

aerospace vehicles.
Conclusion

We have adapted to the new strategic environment

by incorporating new technologies, operational

concepts, and organizational structures — the

definition of transformation. For the good of

the nation, we cannot afford to stop with the

transformation we have already achieved. Given

the increasing complexity of warfare and the access

potential adversaries have to new technologies, we

now need to move ahead even more quickly. If we

emphasize those force elements that have the

flexibility to respond to the new strategic challenge,

we can realize order of magnitude increases in

capability. For example, America can support the

full spectrum of operations at lower cost in dollars

and manpower by emphasizing stealth, precision

standoff weapons, and information technologies

that mark a qualitative shift in military operations.

Those same forces have relevance across the entire

spectrum of conflict. If we exploit the aerospace

capabilities that have emerged since our current

war plans were established, we may not be faced

with having to shrink from our responsibilities

as a global power. Capitalizing on America’s

asymmetric advantage — aerospace power — we

can expand America’s strategic options at less risk.

However, there’s a bill for this tremendous

capability. We must fully fund our aerospace

power force — the force that gives America a

capability that is truly unique among nations.

25

27

and integrated operations and the importance

of giving every member an equal opportunity

to serve and succeed. All of these actions

are crucial to sustaining the foundation of our

force — Air Force people.

Retention

We are unique among the Services in that we are

a retention-based force. We depend on retaining

highly trained and skilled people to sustain our

readiness posture for rapid global deployment. By

meeting retention goals, we can reduce our current

recruiting and training requirements, and build and

maintain our technical expertise. However, we

expect the economic climate will continue to make

retaining our skilled enlisted and officer personnel

difficult over the next several years. About 7 out of

every 10 enlisted airmen will make a reenlistment

decision between now and 2004. Exit surveys show

the availability of civilian jobs as the primary reason

our people decide to separate from the Air Force.

To retain these people, we must continue to

improve compensation; not only in terms of pay,

but also by reimbursing the out-of-pocket expenses

incurred during frequent moves, deployments,

and other temporary duty. The viability of the

A Texas Air National Guard technician checks an

F–16’s landing gear. The Total Force consists

of more than 695,000 highly skilled active duty,

Reserve, Guard, and civilian personnel.

Chapter 4

Roadmap

to the Future

In order to remain the world’s preeminent

aerospace force, we must continue our

transformation and work through the financial

hurdles before us. A strong economy has made

retaining and recruiting an all-volunteer force

extremely difficult, but we have taken significant

steps to reduce the downward trends. The

increasing cost of readiness (including operations

and maintenance) is consuming the funds required

to modernize our systems and our infrastructure.

We have developed a responsible, time-phased

plan to modernize our force without sacrificing

readiness or capability goals. However, even if

the plan is approved after Secretary Rumsfeld’s

review, we do not have the modernization funds

to fully execute it. Finally, through constant

innovation and adaptation, we are linking emerging

technologies with our future concepts of operation

in order to evolve our aerospace capabilities while

providing the nation the most effective return

on its investments. Taking care of our people,

improving readiness, and procuring upgraded

and new, integrated systems are crucial to ensuring

we can deliver rapid aerospace dominance well

into the 21st century.

People

Force structure drawdowns and a high demand for

U.S. military presence around the globe have had

a significant impact on our Total Force — active,

Reserve, Guard, civilians, and contractors. Last

year, at any given time, an average of 13,000 Total

Force members were deployed around the world.

Another 76,000 people were stationed overseas on

permanent assignment. Retaining our military

people is the first step in maintaining our combat

capability and readiness, and will help alleviate

many of our current recruiting and training

problems. We need help to ensure our civilian

work force is properly sized and shaped. We

also continue to address the quality of life and

quality of service concerns of all our people by

creating better living and working environments

for them. Finally, we are developing leaders who

understand the full spectrum of expeditionary

27
28

all-volunteer force depends on military service

remaining a competitive career option. We will

continue to retain our people through quality of

life initiatives.

In 2000, we held two retention summits chartered

to identify the reasons people decide to leave

the Air Force and to develop solutions to retain

them. From the summits, we produced and

are implementing 19 initiatives to improve

retention, including establishing career assistance

advisors at our bases to maximize the benefits of

performance feedback sessions and provide

selective reenlistment program counseling.

With respect to officer retention, we closely

monitor the officer cumulative continuation rate

(CCR), or the percentage of officers entering

their 4th year of service (six years for pilots and

navigators) who will complete their 11th year of

service given existing retention patterns. In FY00,

the pilot CCR dropped to 45% from the high of

87% in FY95. Non-rated operations and mission

support officer retention rates have also dropped

over the past two years. In fact, retention rates

have decreased for several high-tech specialties

— developmental engineers, scientists,

communication officers, and acquisition managers

are in high demand. Conversely, navigator and

air battle manager rates improved in FY00, rising

to 69% and 51% from last year’s rates of 62% and

45%, respectively.

While 73% of enlisted members eligible to reenlist

elected to stay with the Air Force in FY00, it was

the third year in a row retention rates remained

below goal for all three reenlistment categories.

Enlisted Retention Trends

We project a shortage of about 1,200 pilots (9%

of our pilot requirement) by the end of FY01.

Officer Retention Trends

Our Total Force depends on our ability to attract

and retain sufficient numbers of high-quality,

motivated people. We must effectively size,

shape, and maintain the Total Force to execute

our military commitments.

We aggressively use bonuses to retain our

members. For example, a flexible aviation

continuation pay (ACP) program is integral to

our multi-faceted plan to retain pilots. Under

a provision of the FY00 National Defense

Authorization Act (NDAA), we began offering

ACP payments through 25 years of aviation

service at up to $25,000 per year, and expanded

eligibility to pilots below the rank of brigadier

general. This resulted in a substantial increase

in additional years of service commitment. The

FY01 ACP program includes two enhancements

for first-time eligible pilots: the up-front lump

sum payment cap was raised from $100,000 to

$150,000 and up-front payment options were

expanded. These changes were made to enhance

the attractiveness of longer-term agreements.

Seventy-six percent of our enlisted skills are now

targeted with reenlistment bonuses, and we are

100

80

60

40

20

0

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01

Goal

95%

75%

55%

Career

 2nd Term

1st Term

FY

Retention Rate (%)

91%

56%

70%

Pilot Navigator Non-Rated Ops Air Battle Mgr Mission Spt

100

80

60

40

20

0

93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00

FY

Retention Rate (%)
29

considering bonuses for some non-rated line officer

categories. The need to widen our bonus footprint,

coupled with current below-goal retention rates,

is strong evidence that the basic pay structure is

too low. The addition of the officer and enlisted

critical skills retention bonus of up to $200,000

during a career, which was authorized in the FY01

NDAA, should help retain those people with skill

sets in high demand by the civilian sector. We have

also targeted our enlisted members with those

crucial skills by increasing special duty assignment

pay to $600 per month.

Our Guard and Reserve have also taken steps to

address retention problems by authorizing special

pay and enlistment bonuses for critical enlisted

specialties, ACP for active Guard and Reserve

pilots, and special salary rates for full-time Reserve

component military technicians. Implementation

of the EAF concept will also help alleviate some of

their retention challenges by providing advanced

deployment notice to civilian employers.

Recruiting

We missed our enlisted recruiting goal only twice

since the inception of the all-volunteer force in

1973: FY79 and FY99. In FY00, we waged an

all-out “war” to recruit America’s best — and won.

We exceeded our enlisted recruiting goal of 34,000

by almost 400 without lowering our standards.

We still require 99% of our recruits to have high

school diplomas, and nearly 73% of our recruits

score in the top half of all scores on the Armed

Forces Qualification Test. In addition, we brought

848 prior-service members back on active duty,

compared to 601 in FY99 and 196 in FY98.

Successful recruiting means enlisting airmen

whose aptitudes match the technical requirements

Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP) is helping us

“hold the line” on current shortages until we can

benefit from the positive effects of increased pilot

production and the newly implemented 10-year

active duty service commitment for pilot training.

We have experienced a period of strong economic

growth, record low unemployment levels, and

widening opportunity and financial assistance for

higher education. This unprecedented combination

of factors has hampered our ability to recruit

the high-quality people needed to sustain the

aerospace force.

Factors Affecting

Recruiting

The Guard and Reserve are performing an

increasing number of active duty days each year

— averaging 33.3 days per year (with some pilots

performing up to 120 days per year) in addition to

drill weekends and annual training days.

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00

FY

High School Seniors Entering College

Unemployment Rate

%
30

we need. Although we met our overall recruiting

goals in FY00, we fell about 1,500 short of our

goal of 12,428 recruits with mechanical aptitudes.

In response, we are developing a targeted program

to highlight the many opportunities we offer to

mechanics, as well as a “prep school” to increase

the number of airmen qualified to attend courses

in areas such as jet engine repair and avionics

maintenance. These efforts are paying off —

through the first four months of FY01 we have met

or exceeded our monthly goal for mechanically

skilled recruits.

As with our retention efforts, we are using

bonuses to improve recruiting. An increase in the

enlistment bonus to $20,000 for our hard-to-fill

critical skills positions proved successful — 68% of

our bonus-eligible recruits selected a 6-year initial

enlistment in FY00. We also introduced a $5,000

“kicker” to encourage new recruits to enlist during

our most difficult recruiting months: February,

March, April, and May.

extra 1,100 recruits during the spring and summer

of 2000. We increased the number of recruiter

authorizations from 1,209 to 1,450 in FY00, and

we project 1,650 recruiter authorizations by the

end of 2001. The active duty drawdown has also

created an additional recruiting challenge for our

Guard and Reserve components. As a result, the

Air Force Reserve is increasing its recruiting

force in FY01 by 50 recruiters (to 564), and the Air

National Guard is adding 65 recruiters (to 413)

over the next three years.

Officer recruiting is not immune to the economic

factors affecting enlisted recruiting. As of March

Enlisted Accession

Requirements

A historical comparison of our accession

requirements since 1992 (FY01 goal is 34,600).

Successful Air Force recruiting is more than a

number — it also means enlisting airmen whose

aptitudes match the technical skills we need.

Recruit Skills Mix

This past spring and summer, we sent approximately

270 former recruiters to the field. The results

were almost immediate: 12,000 contacts, 10,000

interviews, and over 1,100 recruits.

Recruiter Manning

Additionally, we held a comprehensive review of

our recruiting and accessions processes. One of

the most important initiatives that came out of

this review was to increase our recruiter force.

Therefore, we augmented our permanent

recruiters with temporary duty personnel for

periods of 120 days. This action resulted in an

92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01

30

29

31

32

33

34

35

36

Thousands

FY

0

10

20

30

40

50

16%

41%

38%

Elec Gen Admin Mech

6%

Skills

Recruited (%)

1700

1600

1500

1400

1300

1200

1100

1000

900

800

94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02

FY

Number of Recruiters

Authorized

Assigned

Goal

1650

1442

4/1/01

(Recruited vs. Required)
31

2001, the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)

anticipates shortfalls of 400 officers in FY02 and

280 in FY03 (against a yearly goal of 2,000). We

are considering several initiatives to attract more

candidates, including offering cadets contracts

after their freshman year rather than waiting

until the end of their sophomore year, as

well as recommending legislation to permit an

officer accession bonus and to increase enlisted

commissioning opportunities. In FY00, we

achieved 97% of our line officer accession

target, even though FY00 production was 5%

above FY99 and 21% greater than FY98.

Recruiting health-care professionals has also been

challenging. Many medical, dental, nurse, and

biomedical specialties are critically short. For

example, only 80% of our clinical pharmacy

positions are filled. In 2001, for the first time, we

will be offering a $10,000 accession bonus to

pharmacists who enter active duty.

Finally, we launched a multi-faceted marketing

campaign, including television and movie theater

advertising. Our ads depict the teamwork,

dedication, and technological sophistication that

characterize the Air Force. The Air Force Reserve

and Air National Guard also launched a national

campaign that includes television, radio, and

outdoor advertisements.

Civilian Workforce Shaping

In 1989, approximately 17% of our civilians were

in their first five years of service. Today, that

figure is less than 10%. In the next five years,

more than 40% of our civilian career workforce

will be eligible for optional or early retirement.

Compounding this problem, the downsizing of the

An Air Force dentist examines a young boy’s teeth

while deployed as part of the U.N. peacekeeping

mission in East Timor. The Air Force is currently

short about 60 dentists.

Civilian Workforce Shaping

We need a combination of renewal, workforce development, and separation management actions to properly

shape the civilian workforce.

4000

3500

3000

3500

3000

1500

1000

500

0

Years in Federal Service

# Full-Time Permanent Employees

Workforce

Development

Retirement: Not Eligibile Early Eligibile Optional Eligibie Desired Mix 

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50

Force

Renewal

Retention/

Separation

Management
32

Eight Quality of Life Initiatives

1. Manpower

2. Workplace Environment

3. Fair and Competitive Benefits

4. Balanced TEMPO

5. Safe, Affordable Housing

6. Quality Health Care

7. Enriched Community and Family

Programs

8. Enhanced Education Opportunities

past decade has skewed the mix of civilian workforce

skills. While we are meeting mission needs today,

without the proper civilian force shaping tools, we

risk not being ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges.

We have developed several initiatives to address

our civilian workforce concerns. These initiatives

include finding new ways to attract and recruit

civilian employees; developing streamlined,

flexible, and expedited hiring processes; supporting

pay flexibility to better align salaries with those of

private industry; and increasing the availability

of student loan repayment programs.

We also realize that we must renew the mid-level

civilian workforce to meet the demands of an

increasingly technical force. We will accomplish

this through job proficiency training, leadership

development, academic courses, and retraining.

Further, we believe that funding civilian tuition

assistance programs, as we do for our military

people, and having the flexibility to pay for

job licenses and certifications, will help our

shaping efforts.

However, we must also use separation management

tools to create vacancies so the civilian work force

is continuously refreshed with new talent and

contains the right skills mix. These tools include

pay comparability, and extending special voluntary

separation incentive pay (VSIP) and voluntary

early retirement authority (VERA) for workforce

restructuring. We also need an incentive to

provide employees the option to offset all or part

of the early retirement penalty to their annuity

through a lump-sum payment to the civil service

retirement and disability fund.

Quality of Life

For the first time in five years, we are adding

manpower and workplace environment to our core

quality of life priorities. Updated wartime planning

factors and real-world operations validated our

increased manpower requirements. Meeting our

existing mission requirements with our current end

strength is wearing out our people. We need to

increase our end strength by 12,000 personnel

above our FY00 level, primarily in the combat,

combat support, low density/high demand, and

high-tempo areas.

A good quality of life is central to attracting and

retaining our people. The FY01 NDAA provided

a 3.7% pay raise, one-half percent above private

sector wage growth, and a targeted pay raise for

our mid-level enlisted members ranging from

$32 to $58 per month. While these are positive

developments, military pay, particularly for

mid-grade NCOs and officers, remains below

To meet the needs of an increasingly technical

aerospace force, we need the right mix of new,

mid-level, and senior civilian employees with the

proper skills mix.
33

comparable private sector salaries. In FY01, our

members’ out-of-pocket housing expenses will

be reduced from 18.9% to 15%, but at significant

cost to our budget. A goal of zero out-of-pocket

housing costs by FY05, as directed by the former

Secretary of Defense, will be difficult to fund

within current projections. To help reduce out-ofpocket moving expenses, the NDAA equalized

dislocation allowances for our lower ranking

enlisted force, and authorized advanced payment

of temporary lodging expenses and a pet quarantine

reimbursement up to $275.

Another important component of quality of life

is health care. The year 2000 was a milestone year

for our health-care program, with many changes

taking effect in 2001. TRICARE was expanded to

include 1.4 million Medicare-eligible beneficiaries,

retirees, and their family members beginning in

October 2001. By enrolling in Part B Medicare,

they can now visit any civilian health-care provider

and have TRICARE pay most, if not all, of what

Medicare does not cover. Other legislation extends

TRICARE Prime Remote to immediate active duty

family members stationed in remote areas (i.e., areas

not within 50 miles of a military treatment facility);

eliminates TRICARE co-payments for active duty

family members; establishes chiropractic care

for active duty members; reduces the TRICARE

catastrophic cap to $3,000 per year; and improves

claims processing.

Enhancing community and family programs is

crucial to retention since 62% of our force is

married. This year we created the Community

Action Information Board (CAIB) to bring together

senior leaders to review and resolve individual,

family, and installation community issues

impacting our readiness and quality of life. We

recognize the economic benefits our members

and their families receive from youth programs,

family support centers, fitness centers, libraries

and other recreational programs which support and

enhance the sense of community. We also continue

to support the commissary benefit as an important

non-pay entitlement.

Providing our people with safe, affordable

accommodations improves their quality of life

and, in turn, increases retention. Our dormitory

master plan will build or replace dormitory rooms

throughout the Air Force. We continue to pursue

a private room policy for our airmen. Currently,

86% of our unaccompanied airmen housed on

base have a private room with a shared bath. We

also plan to replace, improve, or privatize over

10,000 family housing units. In addition, ensuring

our members have adequate officer and enlisted

visiting quarters and temporary lodging facilities

remains a high priority. Constructing and

maintaining sufficient numbers of on-base

facilities yields significant savings in moving

and travel costs while aiding force protection.

October 2000 Ground Breaking ceremony for

a child development center at Dyess AFB, TX. With

55,000 children enrolled, our quality child-care

system allows our people to focus on the mission,

rather than worry about their families. We are

currently able to meet about 65% of our active

duty child-care requirements.

Housing, like this new on-base development at

McChord AFB, WA, is one of our eight qualityof-life initiatives.
34

Even with the EAF, our tempo can make

educational pursuits difficult. Our learning resource

centers and distance learning initiatives address this

situation by offering deployed personnel education

and testing opportunities through CD-ROM and

interactive television. We support lengthening

the Montgomery GI Bill contribution period from

one to two years in order to ease the financial

burdens of new airmen. Additionally, we have

joined with the other Services, the Department

of Labor, and civilian licensing and certification

agencies to promote the recognition of military

training as creditable towards civilian licensing

requirements.

our use of technology and streamlining training

processes, we are producing fully qualified

apprentices. Recognizing training as a continuous

process, we are using emerging technologies to

establish a training management system capable

of documenting and delivering the right training

throughout a member’s career.

Equal Opportunity

We strive to build and maintain an environment

that is free from unlawful discrimination and

harassment and reflects the rich diversity of our

nation. Equal opportunity, diversity, and fair and

equitable treatment of our people have evolved

from law to a strategic readiness imperative.

Ensuring that every airman is given equal access

and equal opportunity to achieve his or her full

potential is vital to our readiness equation. Creating

and sustaining an environment where individuals

are respected and valued is key to mission

performance and force sustainment. These issues

require constant attention and support. Accordingly,

we are committed to attracting, recruiting, hiring,

accessing, developing, managing, rewarding, and

retaining a diverse and high-quality Air Force that

reflects all segments of American society.

Readiness

Total Air Force readiness has declined 23 percentage

points since 1996. We attribute this decay to

the problems associated with supporting the

oldest aircraft fleet in Air Force history; the

inability to retain an experienced workforce; and

Training

Training the world’s best Air Force is challenging

in today’s rigorous, expeditionary environment.

Recruits face a demanding basic training course,

and newly commissioned officers and selected

civilians attend the Aerospace Basic Course to

establish a fundamental knowledge of aerospace

power and the profession of arms. However, lower

enlisted retention rates are increasing our training

burden. Fewer experienced trainers are available

to train entry-level personnel. Additionally, the

increased number of accessions (due to lower

retention) stress our training facilities and personnel.

During accession surge periods, our technical

training centers operate at over 100% capacity by

triple-bunking students in two-person dorm rooms.

Despite these challenges, our technical training

schools are meeting their mission. By increasing

At Basic Military Training, all airmen participate

in Warrior Week, which builds the mental and

physical foundation they need to meet the challenges

of an expeditionary force.

The Community College of the Air Force

allows airmen to combine college credits,

military education, and experience to earn

an associate’s degree.
35

constrained resources and spare parts. With recent

financial assistance from the Administration Office

of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Congress,

we are turning our spare parts problems around.

However, as our fighter, ISR, combat search and

rescue, mobility, and tanker aircraft continue to age,

they need more frequent and substantial repairs,

driving up readiness costs. This, in turn, reduces the

number of aircraft available for missions and creates

higher demands on the remaining fleet. Reversing

this trend will take additional funding and a

concerted recapitalization effort. In addition, the

maintenance tasks and materiel growth inherent

in supporting our aging aircraft fleet have

increased our depot workload. Limited

depot infrastructure investment over the past

decade, coupled with constrained funding,

adds to our already significant challenges in

meeting readiness requirements. We are also

experiencing infrastructure shortfalls in our

facilities (i.e., bases), vehicles and support

equipment, and communications infrastructure.

However, our environmental program remains

on track. Overall, we are committed to improving

readiness, but it must be in concert with our people,

infrastructure, and modernization programs.

Spare Parts

Sufficient inventories of weapon system spare parts

are crucial to mission readiness. Lack of spares

puts a severe strain on the entire combat support

system, creating increased workload for our

logistics personnel and reducing the number

of mission-capable aircraft available to our

operational forces. When our logistics system

suffers parts shortages, maintenance personnel must

either cannibalize parts from other equipment

or aircraft to serve immediate needs, or accept

degraded readiness while they wait out longdelivery times for backordered parts.

Recent improvements in spare parts funding

are turning this situation around. Through

internal funding realignment, the Administration,

OSD and congressional plus-ups, we were

able to spend an additional $2 billion for

spare parts over the past two years. This

helped replenish inventories drained during

Operation ALLIED FORCE. During the summer

Readiness

100

95

90

85

80

75

70

65

60

89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02

DESERT

STORM

DELIBERATE

FORCE

DESERT

FOX

ALLIED

FORCE

Readiness

 Goal 92%

As of Apr 01

68%

FY

%

Readiness - Combat Units (326 units) Manpower/Force Structure (% of 1989) Air Force $ (% of 1989)
36

Although aircraft cannibalization rates appear

to have stabilized over the past two years,

cannibalization makes it difficult for our

maintainers to keep aircraft mission ready.

We are dependent upon their extraordinary

professionalism and competence.

remained relatively constant, but the cost of executing

our flying hour program has risen over 45%.

Facility Infrastructure

Our available resources do not cover the maintenance

requirements of our facilities. Presently, we are able

to sustain only day-to-day recurring maintenance

and periodic system repairs on our real property,

creating a backlog of required maintenance. The

replacement or renovation of existing real property

is now on a cycle exceeding 150 years, compared

with the industry standard of 50 years. Military

construction has also been reduced drastically

since the mid-1980s (from the high of about

$1.8 billion in FY86 to the current $596 million

in FY01).

2000 program review, the DoD fully supported our

efforts to fill shortfalls in the spare-parts pipeline

which were impacting operational requirements.

Additional Administration and OSD support for FY02

includes full funding of the flying hour program and

our airlift readiness spares packages, and increased

funding to reduce the spares repair backlog.

One of our greatest readiness challenges is

managing the consequences of an unprecedented

older aircraft fleet. Today, the average aircraft is

approximately 22 years old. Even with currently

programmed procurements, this figure will continue

to rise, reaching nearly 30 within the next 15 years.

Buying spare parts for aging aircraft is similar to

buying them for aging vehicles. The older the vehicle,

the more expensive the part due to obsolescence

and a reduced vendor base. Maintaining an

aging fleet with more expensive spare parts is one

of the costs reflected in the increasing cost per

flying hour. Over the past five years, our flying

hours required for training and readiness have

Grand opening of the Aviano Base Exchange — the

most expensive DoD construction effort in 2000.

Reductions in Air Force manpower and force

structure have also left us with too much

infrastructure. As a result, we are required to spend

scarce resources on unneeded facilities while

struggling to maintain acceptable operational

readiness levels. We must be allowed to close

unnecessary installations and then reinvest

the savings in Real Property Maintenance (RPM),

base-operating support, family housing, and

military construction.

Vehicles & Support Equipment

Over the past eight years, the vehicle replacement

program has been significantly underfunded. This
37

We have lowered our IT costs by partnering with

industry and consolidating electronic mail and

data servers across our major commands.

situation has created approximately $552 million

in deferred vehicle requirements for more than

27,000 special-purpose, construction, tactical,

and material-handling vehicles. While our major

commands are pursuing temporary solutions, like

general-purpose vehicle leasing, refurbishment

programs, and reducing excess vehicle requirements

wherever possible, failure to replace aging

vehicles will directly impact our combat capability.

Our support equipment program is only 58%

funded. This follows an historical trend of

inadequate funding. We have about $134 million

in deferred funding for maintenance stands, aircraft

de-icing trucks, munitions-handling equipment,

military working dogs, and Harvest Eagle and

Harvest Falcon equipment used to erect bare bases.

Missions in the Balkans and Southwest Asia have

exacerbated equipment shortfalls. Addressing this

funding gap will improve our readiness.

expeditionary operations by reducing airlift

requirements and the size of our deployed footprint.

A vital piece of our “infostructure” is our global

information grid, an interconnected, networkcentric information environment that provides

information on-demand to our policymakers,

warfighters, and supporting personnel. This

infostructure gives us the means to meet our

future information requirements.

“...reachback...streamlines

expeditionary operations by

reducing airlift requirements

and the size of our deployed

footprint.”

Environmental Cleanup

Our environmental program stands on four main

pillars: environmental compliance, pollution

prevention, environmental restoration, and resource

Our vehicle replacement backlog requires that we

extend the life of our special-purpose vehicles

whenever possible.

Communications Infrastructure

Information technology (IT) advancements over

the past decade have revolutionized aerospace

power. From desktop computing to nearinstantaneous worldwide access to information,

our communications technologies enable

information dominance and create “actionable

knowledge” for our commanders. The ability

of forward-deployed commanders to rapidly and

reliably reach back to a large number of combat

support capabilities at home base, streamlines
38

Core Competency

conservation. The goal at our active installations

is to have cleanup remedies in place for all our

high-risk sites by 2007 and for all sites by 2014.

The environmental program for our closed and

closing bases focuses on expedient cleanups that

stress public health, responsible environmental

stewardship, and the transfer of property for

redevelopment. We continue to streamline

processes, reduce costs, and promote community

participation in decision-making. We are on target

to complete all of our environmental cleanups by

2005, except for McClellan AFB, CA, which is

targeted for 2015. Still, we require continuing

investment to ensure properties are ready for

permanent transfer to civil authorities.

these priorities involves sustaining and modernizing

relevant, capable space forces, with emphasis on

the development of the Space Based Infrared

System (SBIRS), the Global Positioning System

(GPS), the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle

(EELV), and secure communication satellites. We

must also upgrade our space launch ranges and

satellite control network. The next several pages

describe our modernization programs aligned

under each of our core competencies.

Aerospace Superiority

Aerospace superiority is the ability to control the

entire vertical dimension, from the surface of the

Earth to the highest orbiting satellite, so the joint

force has freedom from attack and freedom to

attack. Aerospace superiority is the crucial first

step in achieving rapid aerospace dominance.

In the 21st century, aerospace superiority depends

on strike and defensive platforms, such as F–22

and the Airborne Laser (ABL), and ISR platforms,

such as Global Hawk and SBIRS, seamlessly

integrated through real-time information

sharing and appropriate space control measures.

The F–22, with its revolutionary combination of

stealth, supercruise (i.e., supersonic-cruise without

afterburner), maneuverability, and integrated

avionics, will dominate the skies. The F–22’s

advanced capabilities will allow it to penetrate an

adversary’s airspace even if anti-access assets are

in place, destroying the most critical air defense

capabilities, thus permitting follow-on forces

freedom of movement.

“The F–22, with its revolutionary

combination of stealth,

supercruise, maneuverability,

and integrated avionics, will

dominate the skies.”

Additionally, the F–22 will serve as the enabling

platform for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and

other systems engaging enemy ground targets.

In 2000, during continued envelope expansion

flight testing, the F–22 successfully launched

an Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile

(AMRAAM) and an AIM–9 infrared-guided

missile from its internal side weapons bay, and

began testing Block 3.0 avionics software.

An environmental engineer with the 5th Civil

Engineering Squadron, Minot AFB, ND, checks

the connection of two hoses. He was part of a

multiservice construction crew building a school

in Teguipa, Bolivia.

Modernization

Our modernization plan includes retiring the C–141

and procuring the C–17, buying our future air

superiority fighters, considering tanker replacements,

upgrading conventional bombers and precision

guided munitions (PGMs), and developing new C2

and ISR systems. An important step in achieving
39

The F–22 radar uses an active, electronicallyscanned antenna array of 2,000 transmitter/

receiver modules to provide a leap in agility,

radar cross section, and bandwidth over anything

else flying today.

contribute significantly to the missile defense

architecture. In January 2000, we began

modifying a Boeing 747 to become the first

of two ABL prototypes. This prototype

successfully completed critical design review

in April 2000. With the modifications completed

in the third quarter of FY01, ABL is progressing

toward a demonstration against a theater

ballistic missile. This revolutionary capability

will bring equally revolutionary changes in

warfighting.

The Space Based Laser (SBL) has the potential

to provide continuous boost-phase intercept

for ballistic missile defense. To pursue this

capability, the SBL integrated flight experiment

(IFX) project will determine the feasibility

and utility of this approach, focusing on

risk reduction, the sustainment of critical

technologies, and system architecture studies.

The Space Based Laser (SBL) Integrated Flight

Experiment (IFX) will reveal the challenges of

integrating precision optics and high-energy lasers

onto our spacecraft.

The Airborne Laser (ABL) will destroy ballistic

missiles in the boost-phase with directed energy. The

ABL is a revolutionary force protection and homeland

defense capability.

The F–22 has successfully met all congressionally

mandated criteria necessary to enter low-rate

initial production (LRIP) following Defense

Acquisition Board approval. Entering operational

service in 2005, this leap in technology is crucial

to preserving the nation’s most important military

advantage for future warfighters: the capability to

rapidly obtain and maintain aerospace dominance.

The Airborne Laser (ABL) is a transformational

boost-phase intercept weapon system that will

“The Space Based Laser has

the potential to provide

continuous boost-phase

intercept for ballistic missile

defense.”

The program is currently making excellent

progress in high-energy laser beam control;

acquisition, tracking and pointing technologies;

and overall systems integration.
40

The Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS)

significantly improves on the missile warning

capability of the 1993 Talon Shield upgrade

to the Defense Support Program (DSP) missile

detection and warning network of satellites. DSP

has provided strategic missile warning for North

America for nearly 30 years. Beginning in 1993,

the DSP project upgraded processing techniques to

provide a theater missile warning capability that

includes timely and accurate detection and tracking

of tactical ballistic missiles and other theater threats.

SBIRS significantly improves on the missile

warning capability of Talon Shield by consolidating

the nation’s infrared detection systems into a single

architecture, meeting our security requirements

for missile warning, missile defense, technical

intelligence, and battlespace characterization.

“Space Based Infrared

System...consolidating the

nation’s infrared detection

systems into a single

architecture, meeting our

security requirements for

missile warning, missile

defense, technical

intelligence, and battlespace

characterization.”

SBIRS High, SBIRS Low, and DSP, and will

operate through a consolidated ground segment.

DSP currently employs satellites to provide

early detection and warning of missile launches

and nuclear explosions to the National Command

Authorities. The last three DSP satellites will

be placed into orbit between FY01 and FY03,

and subsequently operated from the new SBIRS

mission control station. The SBIRS High

component, currently in engineering and

manufacturing development (EMD), is on

track for the first delivery of a highly elliptical

orbit (HEO) sensor in FY02 and the first launch

of a satellite into geosynchronous orbit (GEO)

in FY05. The SBIRS Low component, now

in the program definition/risk reduction phase,

consists of low earth orbiting (LEO) satellites

with the first launch planned for 2006. We are

working hand-in-hand with the Ballistic Missile

Defense Office to make the SBIRS program a

Combining multiple orbit profiles, SBIRS will be

a key component in the nation’s next-generation

missile defense system.

success. In total, we will operate 2 SBIRS HEO,

4 GEO, and between 20 and 30 LEO satellites.

Miniature Satellites

On July 19, 2000, the Air Force Research

Laboratory launched MightySat II, a test satellite

weighing only 266 pounds. The MightySat

series of experiments are designed to quickly

and inexpensively explore, demonstrate, and

transition space technologies from the drawing

board to operational use. MightySat II

demonstrates advanced technologies for

hyperspectral remote sensing and on-board

processing that could eventually help military

commanders detect and identify hidden targets.

The MightySat series are building blocks

for more advanced satellite concepts, such as

TechSat–21.

“MightySat II demonstrates

advanced technologies for

hyperspectral remote sensing

and on-board processing that

could eventually help military

commanders detect and

identify hidden targets.”
41

Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) will

soon replace the current Titan, Atlas, and Delta

launch vehicles to ensure America’s spacelift

capability until 2020. It consists of two independent

launch systems: the Boeing Delta IV and Lockheed

Martin Atlas V. The first EELV launch is scheduled

for 2002. Our EELV partnership strategy with

industry will meet military, government, and

commercial spacelift requirements at 25% to 50%

lower cost than current systems. In the future, we

envision reusable launch vehicles that will provide

launch on demand, high sortie rates, reduced

operations costs, and increased operational

flexibility in support of space mission areas.

Space Control

We are committed to exploring innovative ways of

modernizing space-based technologies. Utilizing

residual resources from the midcourse space

experiment (MSX) satellite, Air Force Space

Command (AFSPC) transitioned this advanced

concept technology demonstration into a spaceThe MightySat II series of spacecraft will provide us

with a benchmark for efficiently testing emerging

space technologies to ensure their readiness for

operational missions.

This concept will employ three micro-satellites

flying in formation to act as an integrated “virtual”

satellite, enabling revolutionary remote sensing

capabilities such as ground moving target

identification.

Assured Access to Space

Achieving and maintaining superiority throughout

the entire aerospace continuum requires an

operational space launch and maneuver capability

that can deploy to orbit with the same speed and

flexibility as our other aerospace forces. The

The EELV is the first step in providing the nation a rapid spacelift capability at a reduced cost. It consists of

two independent launch systems.
42

Core Competency

based space surveillance sensor. The Space

Based Visible (SBV) sensor provides critical

positional data on orbiting objects to ensure

battlespace awareness.

During the past year, we activated the first-ever

space control unit — the 76th Space Control

Squadron at Peterson AFB, Colorado. The 76th

SPCS is an offensive and defensive counterspace

technology unit responsible for exploring emerging

space control capabilities, including concepts of

counter-communications and counter-surveillance/

reconnaissance, and the development of a satellite

attack, threat detection, and reporting architecture.

Combat Search and Rescue

Combat search and rescue (CSAR) forces,

identified by DoD as low density/high demand

(LD/HD) assets, recover downed combat aircrews

and other isolated people from hostile territory

and return them to friendly control. The

age of our CSAR platforms, and their lack of

compatibility with our advances in strike, C2

, ISR,

communications and other systems, jeopardize

our ability to fulfill our operational commitments

beginning in 2010. For example, the A–10 aircraft

does not have the latest airborne receivers required

to perform the on-scene command role during

combat rescue missions. In 2010, our HH–60s

(search and rescue helicopters) will reach the end

of their service life and require either a service

improving our CSAR force structure by converting

10 WC–130Hs (weather observation aircraft)

into HC–130s (rescue/tanker transports) and

transferring eight HH–60s and five HC–130s

from the Reserve to the active force. We have

established the new combat rescue officer (CRO)

career specialty to improve the leadership of the

CSAR mission area. The first CRO commanded

pararescue squadron will stand up in May 2001.

Information Superiority

Information superiority, like aerospace superiority,

means our information systems are free from attack

while we have freedom to attack an adversary’s

information systems. Information superiority

enables us to provide tailored, accurate targeting

information from a sensor to a shooter within

minutes. It assures U.S. and allied forces have

a clear picture of the battlespace and can operate

freely in the information domain while denying

the enemy the same.

“Information superiority

enables us to provide tailored,

accurate targeting information

from a sensor to a shooter

within minutes.”

Information superiority includes the ability to

gain, exploit, attack, and defend information.

Integral elements include capabilities in

information-in-warfare (e.g., ISR, weather,

communications) and information warfare (e.g.,

electronic warfare, psychological operations,

computer network attack and defense).

Command and Control

Our operational and tactical command and

control (C2

) airborne platforms and ground

systems organize and direct ISR efforts and

tactical forces to successfully apply combat power.

Our C2 assets include the aerospace operations

center (AOC) with its decentralized component

control reporting centers (CRC), the Airborne

Warning and Control System (AWACS), and

the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar

System (JSTARS).

As the primary element of the Theater Air Control

System (TACS), the AOC is responsible for

We are conducting an analysis of alternatives to

determine the best way to maintain our CSAR

capability in conjunction with new strike and

ISR platforms.

life extension program (SLEP) or replacement.

Our near-term enhancements include equipping

HH–60Gs with over-the-horizon data receivers

and improved defensive systems. We are also
planning, executing, and assessing the full range

of aerospace operations. By fusing the data

from a vast array of C2

 and sensor systems, the

AOC creates a comprehensive awareness of the

battlespace so the Joint Force Air Component

Commander (JFACC) can task and execute the

most complex aerospace operations across the

entire spectrum of conflict.

wide-area surveillance, theater air defense,

identification, data link management, and air battle

execution. The current system was developed

in the 1970s and must be replaced. The CRC

replacement, the Battle Control System, will

exceed year 2010 requirements for time sensitive

targeting, open system architecture, small

deployment footprint, remote operations, multisensor fusion, and AEF responsiveness.

The Theater Battle Management Core Systems

(TBMCS) is an integrated, automated C2

 and

decision support tool that offers the senior

aerospace commander and subordinate staffs a

single point of access to real- or near-real-time

information necessary for the execution of higher

headquarters taskings. TBMCS will support a full

range of functions including threat assessment,

target selection, mission execution, battle

damage assessment, resource management, time

sensitive target identification and prosecution,

and defensive planning.

The E–4B National Airborne Operations Center

(NAOC) provides the National Command

Authorities a highly survivable command, control,

and communications center from which to direct

U.S. forces during a national emergency.

The AOC is responsible for planning, executing, and

assessing the full range of aerospace operations.

Especially significant among these operations

are time sensitive targeting, which provides

rapid reaction to the threat, and theater battle

management, which blends C2, rapid intelligence

collection, analysis, and dissemination with

positive control of airspace and the tasking of

combat forces to coordinate the entire air battle

with joint and coalition partners and component

commanders. We have recently designated the AOC

as a “weapon system” and are working on efforts

to standardize its capabilities. Our continued

efforts in equipment baselining, personnel training,

and documentation are the precursors to a full AOC

system modernization effort. The emergence

of the AOC as a fully developed, standardized

weapon system will revolutionize the operational

level of warfare.

“The emergence of the

AOC as a fully developed,

standardized weapon

system will revolutionize the

operational level of warfare.”

The CRC is the JFACC’s ground tactical execution

node for C2 and battle management. It provides

Communication

Information superiority, and by extension, all our

core competencies depend on the availability of

a robust, worldwide communications capability.

Unfortunately, our military satellite communication

(MILSATCOM) systems can not fully keep up

with the growth of theater requirements. Over the

next ten years, our need for secure communications

is expected to increase 15-fold over current

43
44

capacity, while wideband requirements are

projected to soar to 20 times the current

capacity. In an environment of extremely high

worldwide demand and competition, commercial

providers simply cannot supply us with the

protected bandwidth, security, or coverage

necessary to fully support military operations.

MILSATCOM systems, notably the Defense

Satellite Communications System (DSCS) and

the Military Strategic and Tactical Relay System

(MILSTAR), support contingency and ongoing

operations. The first DSCS SLEP satellite,

launched in January 2000, provides users

a 200% increase in military wideband

communications capacity compared to legacy

DSCS III satellites. It also increases the overall

reliability of the military wideband constellation.

Early in 2001, the MILSTAR constellation

received a third operational satellite, to provide

jam-resistant communications for tactical

operations. Furthermore, a complete

modernization of protected communications

(advanced extremely high frequency) and

wideband communications (advanced wideband)

is underway. These are positive steps toward

ensuring space superiority and information

superiority today and in the future.

information to in-garrison and deployed units is

equally vital. Theater deployable communications

provide lightweight multiband satellite terminals

that allow our deployed forces to reach back on the

Global Command and Control System–Air Force

(GCCS–AF) via the Combat Information Transport

System — our high-capacity fiber-optic backbone.

This capability allows combat forces to quickly

deploy with a smaller support structure. We are also

implementing innovative emerging technologies to

maximize bandwidth availability. This is especially

critical given the commercial expansion into

the frequency spectrum used by the military.

Information Warfare

We have fielded eight information warfare flights

(IWF) to date, providing combatant commanders

with full-spectrum information warfare (IW)

planning for offensive, defensive, kinetic, and

non-kinetic applications. We plan to field at least

one additional IWF to support U.S. Special

Operations Command. Each IWF integrates

offensive counterinformation, defensive

counterinformation, and information-in-warfare

functions to gain, exploit, attack, and defend

both information and information systems.

We recognize the potency of psychological

operations and, therefore, include it in our

strategic planning as part of our IW capabilities.

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

Currently, our limited numbers of airborne ISR

systems are in extremely high demand. The

RC–135 Rivet Joint, U–2, and Predator UAV were

We require additional MILSATCOM capability to

lessen our dependence upon expensive and highly

sought-after commercial bandwidth.

Global Hawk’s capability to loiter on-station

for 24 hours gives us the persistence a manned

platform simply cannot provide.

While the long-haul communications provided

by satellites is crucial to operations, transporting
indispensable during Operation ALLIED FORCE,

providing real-time PGM target data, threat warning,

and battle damage assessment. UAV systems,

such as Global Hawk and Predator, promise to

expand our ISR collection capability while reducing

the need to place our people in harm’s way.

Global Hawk successfully completed a military

utility assessment and is poised to move forward

as a formal Air Force acquisition program with

the delivery of production vehicles in FY03.

“UAV systems, such as Global

Hawk and Predator, promise

to expand our ISR collection

capability...”

The Predator continued to demonstrate impressive

expandability with the integration of a laser

illuminator for PGMs and the recent successful

launch of a Hellfire-C missile against a ground

target. Additionally, we are nearing completion

of a major upgrade to the U–2’s sensors, cockpit,

defensive, and power systems.

Space-Based Radar Capability

We are evolving information superiority assets into

space. New sources and methods of space-based

ISR are being explored to provide nearly continuous

overflight of enemy targets to complement airborne

and ground-based sensor platforms. We are

partnering with other Services, agencies, and

the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to

develop a roadmap for future space-based radar

(SBR) capabilities.

“Space-based radar capability

would skip a generation of

sensor technology to provide

precision weapons data and

a nearly continuous deep,

denied-area look at ground

moving targets.”

SBR is a pioneering approach to providing nearcontinuous, worldwide surveillance that would

complement JSTARS and other ground moving

target indication and imagery systems. SBR

capability would skip a generation of sensor

technology to provide precision weapons data and a

nearly continuous deep, denied-area look at ground

moving targets. Furthermore, as a space-based

asset, SBR would not be limited by overflight

restrictions, basing issues, lengthy personnel

deployments, crew fatigue, or terrain masking.

In addition to being able to detect, locate and track

large numbers of ground vehicles, the JSTARS

radar has a capability to detect helicopters, rotating

antennas, and low, slow-moving, fixed-wing aircraft.

From a collection perspective, SBR would move

us to the ultimate high-ground.

Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System

The JSTARS provides battle management, C2, and

ground moving-target detection. We are replacing

the on-board computers with commercial-off-theshelf equipment by 2005 under the JSTARS

Computer Replacement Program (CRP). The CRP

In coordination with other agencies and Services,

we are developing a space-based radar roadmap.

45
46

is the foundation of all JSTARS communications

and sensor upgrades, and should reduce life-cycle

costs and minimize the number of obsolete parts.

However, due to fiscal constraints, we are

enhancing only 2/3 of the fleet with the capacity

to simultaneously transmit voice and data through

beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications by

2005. Finally, the multi-platform Radar Technology

Insertion Program (RTIP) will replace the current

JSTARS radar with an advanced electronically

scanned array radar that has five to ten times the

air-to-ground surveillance capability, reduces

target revisit times, improves moving-target track

capability, and enhances radar resolution.

Airborne Warning and Control System

The AWACS remains the premier air battle

management and wide-area surveillance platform

in the world. Still, aging aircraft issues, obsolete

technologies, and the proliferation of advanced

adversary systems necessitate several upgrade

programs. An improved radar system will become

operational this year, with fully upgraded capability

slated for FY05. The next computer and display

upgrade will replace the 1970 vintage processors

with an open architecture system. Finally, a

satellite communications access program will

provide improved connectivity with regional and

national C2

 centers.

The GPS constellation provides uninterrupted

navigation capability by using 24 satellites that

ensure continuous worldwide access.

A long-term AWACS replacement is required, but

development lead-times will force us to upgrade

the current AWACS well into the next decade.

program. It comprises an unparalleled avionics

procurement and installation effort to update the

navigation and safety equipment in our aircraft

and in many ground systems. GANS includes

the Joint Precision Approach and Landing

System; the Air Traffic Control and Landing

System; modernization of our Global Air Traffic

Management (GATM) capabilities; and updated

avionics to include navigation, safety, and

installation of Global Positioning System (GPS)

capability. In May 2000, GPS selective availability

was turned off, thereby providing the same

accuracy to civil and military users. This increased

accuracy will significantly enhance the capabilities

of systems using GPS. In 2000, we built a strategic

GANS implementation plan to synchronize

our efforts with those of the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) and International Civil

Aviation Organization (ICAO). In the future,

GANS will define the operational requirements

for upgrading all our ground and air traffic

management systems to preserve unimpeded

worldwide operations within domestic and

international airspace systems.

We project that more than 99% of our aircraft

will complete the congressionally mandated

GPS upgrade by the 2005 deadline. Additionally,

through our GPS Modernization/Navigation

Warfare (NavWar) Program, we began development

Global Access, Navigation, and Safety

In 1996, we began the most comprehensive

avionics modernization effort in our history — the

Global Access, Navigation, and Safety (GANS)
Core Competency

high-priority, fixed, and relocatable targets. The

first operational use of a 2,000-pound JDAM was

from a B–2 during the first night of Operation

ALLIED FORCE.

The F–22 will employ the 1,000-pound JDAM

against anti-access and air defense systems.

The WCMD enables combined-effects munitions

to be released from high altitude — maintaining

precision while limiting the risk to aircrew.

of navigation warfare upgrades that will be

fielded in GPS ground and space segments

beginning in FY03. These and future upgrades will

allow us to better protect the ability of American and

allied forces to employ GPS on the battlefield

while denying it to our adversaries and minimizing

potential impacts to civilian users.

Precision Engagement

Operation ALLIED FORCE demonstrated the need

to strike targets in adverse weather conditions with

precision. Our new generation of guided weapons

couples GPS with an inertial navigation system

to put bombs precisely on targets, day or night,

in nearly all weather conditions. Weapons with

this capability, such as the Joint Air-to-Surface

Standoff Missile (JASSM), Joint Standoff

Weapon (JSOW), Joint Direct Attack Munition

(JDAM), and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser

(WCMD) are among our high-priority precision

engagement programs.

“Our new generation of guided

weapons couples GPS with

an inertial navigation system

to put bombs precisely on

targets, day or night, in nearly

all weather conditions.”

JASSM is a precise, stealthy, standoff missile

that will enable us to destroy heavily defended,

hardened, fixed, and relocatable targets. As a

result of acquisition reform initiatives, JASSM

will be delivered below the objective unit

price of $400K, after a development period

that will be 35% shorter than comparable missile

programs. JASSM is currently undergoing flight

tests with production deliveries scheduled to begin

in 2003.

JSOW is an accurate, adverse-weather, unpowered,

glide munition. We are currently procuring two

variants, the AGM–154A and AGM–154B, which

are capable of destroying soft and armored targets

at ranges of up to 40 nautical miles.

JDAM employs GPS guidance, incorporated in a

tail kit, to deliver general-purpose or penetration

warheads in adverse weather with near precision.

We will use JDAM on multiple platforms to destroy

WCMD has an inertial-guided tail kit that enables

us to accurately deliver the Combined Effects

Munition, Sensor Fuzed Weapon, and the Gator

Mine Dispenser from medium to high altitude in

adverse weather. WCMD-equipped weapons

became operational in late 2000.

We are currently developing a MK–82 (500-pound)

JDAM — a small bomb that will multiply kills

per sortie by increasing the number of PGMs that

can be carried. For example, the same B–2 that

carried up to 16 2,000-pound JDAMs in Operation

ALLIED FORCE will now be able to carry up to

80 500-pound JDAMs. This 500-pound JDAM

capability, planned for initial deployment in

FY04, is the first step in the Air Force’s transition

to miniature munitions.

“...500-pound JDAM — a small

bomb that will multiply kills

per sortie by increasing the

number of PGMs that can

be carried.”

47
48

Core Competency

The Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile

(CALCM) replenishment program is on track

with delivery of the last CALCM scheduled for

December 2001.

Fighter (JSF), improvements to our legacy

fighters, and the modernization of the B–1,

B–2, and B–52 bombers with PGM capabilities.

Additionally, modernization of strategic

platforms such as the Minuteman III, the

Air-Launched Cruise Missile, and the Advanced

Cruise Missile ensures the viability of two

legs of the nuclear triad.

Joint Strike Fighter

The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program

will develop and field an affordable, lethal,

survivable, and highly common family of

stealthy, next-generation, multi-role, strikefighter aircraft for the Air Force, Navy,

Marine Corps, and our allies. It will provide

a twenty-four hour, adverse-weather, precisionengagement capability not provided by our

legacy systems. The JSF would help us limit

our aging fleet problems. With a set of fully

validated and affordable joint operational

requirements in place, the competing

contractors are completing the concept

demonstration phase. The EMD phase is

expected to begin in the fall of 2001. Partner

countries will share the cost of JSF development,

including the United Kingdom, which signed an

agreement in January to contribute $2 billion to

the program. Several parallel negotiations are

underway with other potential international

partners.

In summary, munitions recapitalization is

one of our top priorities. A decade of high

operations tempo has depleted our large Cold

War reserve munition stockpiles. Acquisition

of JDAM, JASSM, JSOW, and WCMD will

increase PGM capabilities over the next few

years; however, shortages of legacy munitions

and consumable munitions items (e.g., bomb

bodies, rockets, chaff, flares, training ammunition,

and practice bombs) will continue to hamper

training and operations.

Global Attack

Global Attack is the ability to engage targets

anywhere, anytime. Global attack programs

include the development of the Joint Strike

The unprecedented commonality of the JSF variants (over 70% by airframe weight) significantly decreases

procurement costs while increasing interoperability between the Services and our international partners.

Above are the two competing JSF demonstrators.
At the same time our aging legacy fighters are

becoming prohibitively expensive to maintain

and operate, the proliferation of inexpensive, but

advanced aircraft available to our adversaries is

closing our lead in technological superiority.

into their F–16 aircraft. From 1998 through 2000,

we outfitted all of our Reserve units and selected

Guard units with LITENING II pods. This

acquisition gave the Guard and Reserve’s F–16s

a critical precision strike capability while moving

them closer to the configuration of the active F–16

force. Beginning in FY01, the Guard will join

with the active force in procuring the Advanced

Targeting Pod (ATP). Collaborative programs

between our active and reserve components

increase our overall procurement flexibility and

close the gap in combat capability.

Bomber Modernization

Our bomber modernization efforts will continue to

increase the lethality and survivability of our

bomber force by enhancing precision strike and

electronic combat capabilities. We are applying

the lessons learned from Operation ALLIED

FORCE by enhancing the flexible targeting and

Stealthy, high-altitude, and long-range — the

B–2 is the most survivable aircraft ever built.

Legacy Fighter Modernization

Our legacy fighters, including the F–15, F–16,

and A–10, provide a potent mix of air-to-air

and air-to-surface capability. The recent addition

of GPS-guided PGMs on the F–117 gave it an

adverse-weather capability. However, these

aging platforms are growing more expensive

to maintain and operate, and their combat

effectiveness is expected to eventually decline

as projected surface-to-air and air-to-air threats

appear. The introduction of the stealthy F–22

and JSF will maintain America’s technological

advantage, ensuring the ability to defeat emerging

threats while replacing aging force structure with

modern combat systems.

“...introduction of the stealthy

F–22 and JSF will maintain

America’s technological

advantage, ensuring the ability

to defeat emerging threats

while replacing aging force

structure with modern combat

systems.”

One of our Guard and Reserve’s top modernization

priorities is incorporating precision targeting pods

electronic connectivity of the B–2 using electronic

data-link and UHF satellite communications.

We are committed to integrating the MK–82

500-pound JDAM into the B–2, enabling it to

strike up to 80 targets per sortie. Further, we

are fielding the MK–84 2,000-pound JDAM on

the B–1 and developing the capacity for both the

B–1 and the B–52 to deliver JSOW, JASSM, and

WCMD. Communications, avionics, situational

awareness, electronic countermeasures, and

defensive system upgrades would also improve

bomber effectiveness.

49
50

Core Competency

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

Ongoing modernization of the Minuteman III

(MM III) intercontinental ballistic missile

(ICBM) force and a clear policy decision regarding

the future of the Peacekeeper (PK) ICBM are

crucial to the viability of ICBMs through 2020.

For example, we could dismantle our PK ICBMs

and then retrofit up to 350 MM IIIs with warheads

currently on PKs to avoid a costly life-extension

program on the Minuteman system. This

replacement effort would ensure that our newest

warhead, with the most modern safety features,

remains part of the ICBM force. However,

continued delays in START II Treaty ratification,

and the resultant delay in a PK deactivation

decision, make it difficult to implement this

program and are causing increased maintenance

challenges that could eventually cause degradation

of our ICBM force.

Rapid Global Mobility

Rapid Global Mobility ensures the nation has

the global reach to respond quickly and decisively

anywhere in the world. As the number of

“Airlift and tanker aircraft give

the United States the ability

to rapidly reach out and

influence events around

the world.”

forward-deployed forces has declined, the need for

immediate response to overseas events has risen.

Airlift and tanker aircraft give the United States

the ability to rapidly reach out and influence events

around the world. Yet, some of these platforms

are reaching the end of their service life. To

prepare for the future, the Mobility Requirements

Study (MRS-05) and Tanker Requirements

Study (TRS-05) were commissioned to

determine long-term military airlift and aerial

refueling requirements.

 Minuteman and Peacekeeper modernization are

dependent upon Start II deactivation requirements

and congressional prohibitions from expending

dismantlement funds.

The MRS-05 study examined the number and mix

of mobility systems required to meet the nation’s

airlift needs.

MRS-05 ascertained the mobility requirements

to support the nation’s military needs with

moderate risk. Additionally, the TRS–05, baselined

from MRS–05, will inform our decision-makers

on the number of tankers needed to carry out

future military operations. The KC–135 fleet

now averages about 40 years old, and operations

and support costs are escalating as structural

fatigue, corrosion, systems supportability, and

technical obsolescence take their toll. The

KC–135 Economic Service Life (ESL) Study

was completed in December 2000. This study

provided specific KC–135 milestones, as well

as information on projected sustainment costs

and operational availability. In FY01, using

the KC–135 ESL study and TRS–05 as baselines,

an aerial refueling analysis of alternatives
will examine options and timing for replacing the

aging KC–135.

The procurement of the full complement of C–17s

and the continued modernization of the C–5, C–130,

KC–10, and KC–135 fleets will enhance the

viability of our mobility forces. Extensive efforts

to modernize the C–5’s avionics and propulsion

systems should keep this aging platform operational

for the future.

Modernization of the C–130 fleet (for intratheater

airlift) is proceeding with a two-pronged approach.

We are procuring new C–130Js to replace 150 of

our most worn-out 1960s-era C–130E combat

delivery aircraft. The C–130J provides increased

range, performance, and cargo capacity compared

with the current C–130E/Hs. The remainder

of our C–130 fleet will undergo an avionics

modernization program (AMP) modification.

AMP includes state-of the-art avionics that will

eliminate the need for a navigator and will increase

reliability, maintainability, and sustainability. The

C–130 AMP modification will make the aircraft

compliant with GATM standards and navigational

safety requirements.

The Air Force has begun a large aircraft infrared

countermeasures (LAIRCM) initiative to counter

increasingly prolific man-portable air defense

systems (MANPADS). LAIRCM will use stateof-the-art technology to provide active defenses for

airlift- and tanker-sized aircraft against widely

deployed shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles.

LAIRCM will build on existing systems designed

for helicopters and small, fixed-wing aircraft.

It will add new missile warning and tracking

systems to locate and direct a laser at an incoming

missile. Operational capability is expected on

the first C–17s in FY04. Additional airlift and

tanker aircraft will be outfitted with this system in

the near future.

The KC–135 averages 40 years old. We are

considering a service life extension program

(SLEP) for the existing fleet, replacement with

a commercial aircraft, or replacement with a

developmental aircraft.

Thirty-eight Tunner aircraft loaders were used

to move more than 53,000 tons of cargo during

Operation ALLIED FORCE.

Rapid Global Mobility is dependent upon the

Tunner 60K mobility aircraft loader. It is essential

for expediting onload and offload and maximizing

throughput at any location. The next generation

small loader (NGSL), a replacement for existing

25K loaders and wide-body elevator loaders,

will provide the versatility to load wide-body

commercial aircraft and support mobility

operations at forward bases.

Integrated Flight Management Modernization

Air Mobility Command’s (AMC) Mobility 2000

(M2K) program is a comprehensive systems

integration and C2 architecture modernization

initiative to increase the efficiency and

responsiveness of airlift and air refueling operations.

M2K will revolutionize AMC’s C2 data flow and

connectivity, data processing, database management,

and information display capabilities. By leveraging

GATM system installation and digital datalink

technologies, AMC will realize near-real-time

global, end-to-end data connectivity between the

Tanker Airlift Control Center and all AMC mission

aircraft. The implementation of M2K programs

began in 2000 and will continue into 2006.

51
52

Core Competency

Spacelift Range Modernization

The Spacelift Range System (SLRS) modernization

program is replacing aging and non-supportable

equipment; using automation to improve reliability

and efficiency; reducing the cost of operations;

and standardizing equipment on the Eastern and

Western launch ranges. To date, the completion

of new downrange satellite communication links, a

new fiber-optic network, and new range scheduling

systems are providing government and commercial

users more flexibility at the spacelift ranges.

The congressionally directed National Launch

Capabilities Study concluded that once completed,

the SLRS modernization program, coupled with

the EELV program, would meet the future

launch demands of national security, civil, and

commercial payloads.

The White House-led Interagency Working Group

on the future utilization of U.S. space launch bases

and ranges developed a strategic direction for the

spacelift ranges. The Air Force was instrumental in

shaping that strategic direction as well as the findings

and conclusions contained in the Group’s report.

Through this effort, we have been expanding and

formalizing partnerships with states, spaceports, and

the Departments of Transportation and Commerce

to better consider the spacelift requirements for

civil and commercial launches while ensuring our

capability to meet national security requirements

now and in the future. At the same time, we

are examining options for the use of non-federal

funding to improve the space launch ranges.

CV–22

The CV–22 is our designation for the special

operations variant of the V–22 Osprey — a

vertical/short-takeoff and landing airplane

designed for long-range, rapid penetration of denied

areas in adverse weather and low visibility. With

twice the range and speed of a conventional

helicopter and its state-of-the-art avionics system,

the CV–22 will be able to complete most of its

missions under the cover of darkness without

being detected. We will use the CV–22 to infiltrate,

exfiltrate, and resupply special operations forces and

to augment personnel recovery forces when needed.

The CV–22 is currently in the EMD phase with two

test vehicles designated for flight tests through 2003.

Agile Combat Support

The goal of Agile Combat Support (ACS) is to

improve the responsiveness, deployability, and

sustainability of combat aerospace forces. Our

four basic objectives are to become more rapidly

deployable; develop a more responsive planning

and execution capability; improve agile combat

support C2; and develop an agile, responsive, and

survivable sustainment capability. We are making

gains in the process of right-sizing deployment

teams so they are postured better for expeditionary

needs. We have developed expeditionary site

planning tools that help tailor our deployment

capability based on assets prepositioned in the

forward theater. We are gradually introducing bare

base assets and other types of support equipment

into our inventory. We’ve invested in infrastructure

and prepositioning to improve the reception and

beddown capabilities of our bomber forwardoperating locations. We have fielded an integrated

deployment system at all of our wings that

improves the responsiveness of our deployment

process. Our information technologies, such as

the virtual logistics suite hosted on the Air Force

Portal, will help provide real-time situational

awareness for ACS command and control.

Through efforts like our logistics review and

logistics transformation initiatives, we are

reengineering our processes to achieve an agile,

effective, well-integrated logistics chain that is

responsive to EAF requirements. These are all

examples of initiatives that will help achieve our

four ACS objectives; however, our ACS capability

must be improved even more to fully support our

The SLRS modernization program will make our

ranges more responsive to future launch demands.
EAF vision. For example, we need to fix

readiness shortfalls in key logistics resources

including people, skills, spares, munitions, bare

base assets, and vehicles. We need to improve

our capability to rapidly develop deployment and

sustainment plans for fast-breaking contingencies.

Finally, we are making enhancements to our ACS

command and control capability to make it more

responsive, better integrated, and sufficiently

robust to support EAF needs. These agile combat

support initiatives are crucial to sustaining current

and future combat operations.

Ranges

Ranges provide the critical airspace we need to

test and train on our weapon systems. As modern

aircraft continue to fly faster and deliver munitions

from a greater distance, our ranges and associated

test and training systems must evolve to meet our

changing needs. We will balance our need to test

and train with our responsibilities to the public and

the environment. We are completing modifications

to our range and airspace structure that will

significantly enhance local training for our forces

at Mountain Home AFB, ID, Dyess AFB, TX, and

Barksdale AFB, LA. We are also working to further

advance the integration of space and information

operations into our ranges. This includes

capitalizing on a common infrastructure across

the test and training spectrum.

Innovation and Adaptation

We have a proud heritage of innovation and

adaptation. We are carefully linking emerging

technologies with our future concepts of operation

to evolve our aerospace core capabilities while

providing the nation the most effective return on

its investments.

Experimentation and Wargames

We conduct experiments and wargames to evaluate

near- and far-term aerospace capabilities and

operational concepts. Joint Expeditionary Force

Experiment (JEFX) 2000, conducted at various

Our enhanced beddown capabilities include this

Harvest Falcon equipment, part of a 1,100-person

housekeeping set of tents, electrical generators,

and billets.

Distributed Mission Training (DMT) provides a

realistic training environment at a lower cost by

linking multiple simulators at geographically

separated locations.

Aircrew Training Requirements

We are actively updating the way we train. The

Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS),

including the T–6A aircraft, will replace the Air

Force T–37 and the Navy T–34 primary trainers

and their associated ground-based training systems

beginning in June 2001 at Moody AFB, GA.

We will continue to upgrade the T–38 advanced

trainer aircraft with new avionics representative

of current fighter systems while modernizing the

propulsion system to improve engine reliability,

safety, efficiency, and performance. Finally, we are

making significant strides in developing simulated

environments that produce training effects

comparable to authentic environments. Our

groundbreaking distributed mission training (DMT)

system seamlessly links aircrew training devices

at diverse locations, allowing aircrews to train as

they fight.

53
54

locations throughout the U.S. in September,

focused on ways to integrate support functions

into expeditionary operations and technologies

to conduct time sensitive targeting. The wargame

Global Engagement (GE) is held every other

year to explore the potential capabilities of joint

aerospace power and alternative force structures

10 to 15 years into the future. In June 2000, GE-V

explored operational concepts and alternative

force structures designed to deny and degrade an

adversary’s strategic decision-making ability and

accelerate the transition from halt to win. GE-V

also demonstrated aerospace power’s unique

capability to ensure access to operational areas

where the enemy employs robust anti-access

strategies. We are currently conducting a year-long

analysis of GE-V in areas such as time sensitive

targeting, space control, information operations,

and forward logistics support. During oddnumbered years, we conduct an aerospace future

capabilities wargame that takes a longer view,

striving to shape our decisions and strategic

direction by testing alternative concepts, systems,

and force structures that may appear 20 to 25 years

into the future. These wargames have produced

new aerospace concepts, such as standoff warfare

and reach-forward C2 capability, which continue

to mature through follow-up analysis and

subsequent wargames.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,

General John Shalikashvili, USA retired, (right),

and Lieutenant General Joe Hurd, USAF retired,

(left), discuss the implications of GE-V during the

wargame’s after action session.

Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations

Advanced concept technology demonstrations

(ACTDs) marry new operational concepts with

mature technologies in order to meet warfighter

needs in two to four years at a reduced cost. The

high altitude UAV ACTD, Global Hawk, which has

successfully transitioned to a formal acquisition

program, is targeted for accelerated production

and is expected to provide a follow-on capability

for the U–2. The Miniature Air Launched Decoy

(MALD), another ACTD system scheduled to

enter production in FY01, will augment our

electronic warfare capability to protect valuable

strike packages.

“The high altitude UAV ACTD,

Global Hawk, which has

successfully transitioned to

a formal acquisition program,

is targeted for accelerated

production and is expected to

provide a follow-on capability

for the U–2.”

Battlelabs

Since their inception in 1997, the battlelabs have

developed over 100 initiatives, including the

The Space Based Space Surveillance Operations

(SBSSO) ACTD utilizes a soon-to-be de-orbited

satellite to identify objects in earth orbit. About

80% of “lost” space objects have been identified

during the past year.
application of commercial scheduling software

for the Air Force Satellite Control Network,

telecommunications firewalls for base phone

systems, and the use of speech recognition to

reduce mission planning time. The recently

commissioned Air Mobility Battlelab joined the

ranks of the Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab,

Command and Control Battlelab, Force Protection

Battlelab, Information Warfare Battlelab, Space

Battlelab, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battlelab,

with a charter to rapidly identify and assess

innovative operational and logistics concepts.

Joint Test and Evaluation

The Air Force plans to remain at the forefront

of the joint test and evaluation (JT&E) process.

Our seven battlelabs identify innovative operational

concepts which exploit mature technologies.

Employing digital x-ray equipment to inspect

aircraft began as a successful battlelab initiative.

JT&E programs are a means to bring two or more

of the Services together to evaluate systems

interoperability under realistic conditions. We

are the lead service on five JT&Es in the areas

of close air support; joint command, control,

ISR sensor management techniques; cruise missile

defense capability; GPS vulnerabilities; and

electronic warfare in joint operations.

Conclusion

Our future hinges on continued advances in people,

readiness, and modernization programs. Retention

and recruitment of people will stay challenging

in the near-term, but we will remain focused on

the quality of life of our members. Similarly,

we are concerned about readiness, but until we

solve our aging aircraft troubles, improving our

readiness will remain difficult. We believe we

have developed a sound recapitalization plan to

address our aging aircraft problem, but if the plan

is approved, we would require additional funding

to execute it. Modernization brings increased

readiness, along with new technologies and

enhanced capabilities. We will continue to

innovate and adapt our revolutionary advances in

space technology, directed energy, and unmanned

aerial vehicles, to name only a few. Our efforts

span the gamut of the world’s most diverse,

flexible, and powerfully integrated aerospace force.

We must balance and fund our people, readiness,

and modernization programs to ensure aerospace

power for America well into the future.

55

Chapter 5 2001 and all bases by September 2002. Our

strategy advances IA through standardized

practices and procedures; integrated network

operations and information protection; automated

and dynamic detection and response; consolidated

situational awareness and decision support;

and enhancements for deployed and classified

environments. We are committed to IA as our

top information warfare priority for long-term

investment.

Our biggest IT challenge remains the funding of

our base IT infrastructure, especially the fiber-optic

cable backbone. Cost savings obtained through our

consolidation and integration efforts will mitigate

some of our “infostructure” funding requirements.

Finally, our Global Combat Support SystemAir Force (GCSS-AF) is key to integrating our

critical combat support information systems

and processes across functional areas. GCSS-AF

incorporates the Air Force Portal, allowing

customer specific access while permitting the

customization of information within our business

information systems. Together, GCSS-AF and the

Air Force Portal will provide the warfighter,

supporting elements, and other Air Force

members with timely and accurate data and the

capability to transform this data into meaningful

information. Seamlessly incorporating combat

support into war planning allows military planners

to improve their course of action development,

analysis, and collaborative planning; and it

measurably streamlines our business processes.

Reforming

Business Practices

The budget constraints of the past decade have

forced us to take a hard look at our business

practices. We have undertaken aggressive efforts

to realize cost efficiencies by benchmarking the

best business and management practices, whether

in government or industry, and then adapting them

to our unique environment. During the past year,

we made significant progress in improving how

we do business in everything from competitive

sourcing of personnel positions to the flow of

information within the Air Force Headquarters.

Leveraging Information Technology

We made some tremendous progress in 2000

in the way we plan for, acquire, and protect

our information technology (IT). We started by

creating the position of Principal Deputy Assistant

Secretary of the Air Force for Business and

Information Management to centralize IT

decision-making and implement an Air Force-wide

process to assess our IT investments in preparation

for future budgeting efforts.

Driving our IT efforts is our “One Air Force, One

Network” strategy, a multi-layered approach to

integrating operations, people, technology, and

oversight through an enterprise-wide, networkcentric concept. Included in this strategy is

the establishment of the Air Force Portal, the

consolidation of our servers, and improvements

in information assurance (IA). The Air Force

Portal will provide all our members with a

platform-independent, single logon capability

to meet practically all their information needs.

Currently, network-based access allows our

members to logon anywhere in the world,

supporting over 75 applications. The migration

of most of our critical databases is planned for

the near future.

In 2000, we saw the initial consolidation of our

servers improve the utilization of our computer

resources. We have created teams of experts

at central sites and reduced our exposure to

outside threats. Our goal is to have one base

from each major command completed by August

57
Competitive Sourcing

Our public/private manpower competitions are a

defense reform initiative success story. In 2000,

we began new competition studies impacting 2,895

positions, as required by Office of Management

and Budget Circular A-76. The A-76 circular calls

for the review of government functions meeting

specified criteria, and competition with privatesector firms to determine the most efficient and

cost-effective method to perform the work. In

2000, we concluded 30 competitions that covered

5,534 positions. These competitions resulted

in 46% of the work being contracted, and the

remainder being performed by the most efficient

government organization. Both results yielded

significant cost savings. As of April 2001, we

have completed 48% of the A–76 competitions

targeted by the 1997 QDR and the Defense Reform

Initiative. Our annual top-to-bottom review

of our manpower authorizations identified

an additional 3,491 positions as eligible for

competition.

Privatization

Utilities

Defense Reform Initiative Directive (DRID)

#49 directed the privatization of all utility

systems by September 30, 2003, except those

needed for unique mission or security reasons,

or when privatization is uneconomical. This

included two interim milestones: determining

the feasibility of privatizing each system by

September 30, 2000, and releasing all requests

for proposals by September 30, 2001. Currently,

we have completed the first milestone by

determining whether or not to pursue privatization

for each system (i.e., water, wastewater,

electrical, and natural gas). This evaluation

resulted in 434 systems becoming candidates

for privatization. We continue to assess our

options, and are now preparing the requests for

proposal that are required to meet the second

milestone.

Housing

The 1996 National Defense Authorization Act

provided legislation to privatize military family

housing. Privatization efforts are underway to

meet the goal of eliminating inadequate military

family housing units by the year 2010. We have

awarded 4 of 9 pilot projects to privatize 6,280

housing units. During FY01–04, we plan to

privatize over 21,000 housing units at 22 additional

installations. Our privatization efforts are part of

our overall housing revitalization program outlined

in our Family Housing Master Plan.

Acquisition Reform

Today’s environment demands continuous

acquisition reform. We have consistently led the

Our personnel are working hand-in-hand with

commercial utilities to privatize 434 Air Force

utility systems.

58

The renovation and construction of military

housing units is key to our quality of life initiative

to provide safe, affordable housing.
way with new acquisition initiatives, or “Lightning

Bolts,” and reinvention teams, which succeeded in

saving more than $30 billion during the last decade.

Today, we are institutionalizing acquisition reform

through new initiatives, such as the use of cost as

an independent variable and reduction of total

ownership cost, which improve acquisition

affordability. In addition, we’ve recently developed

an acquisition cycle-time reduction initiative

known as the warfighter rapid acquisition process.

“We have consistently led the

way with ...‘Lightning Bolts’

and reinvention teams that

succeeded in saving more

than $30 billion during the

last decade.”

This initiative has the potential to speed up the

development and deployment of innovative solutions

to warfighter requirements by two to five years. Our

motto of “faster and smarter” continues to guide us

as we build upon the successful efforts of the past.

Partnership with Industry

We have consistently counted on industry to deliver

superior products at reasonable prices. Now, we

are institutionalizing partnering between industry

and the warfighter. Initiatives such as teaming

on proposals (TOPS) and total system program

responsibility (TSPR) allow us to establish these

partnerships early in the acquisition process.

Integrated product teams extend this relationship

throughout the acquisition life cycle. The process

of alternative dispute resolution is now a part of all

major acquisition projects, reducing the threat of

expensive claims. We are reaching out to industry

to maintain robust, rewarding, and healthy

relationships. In our partnerships with industry, we

are also developing a blueprint for defense reform

that will guide future reform initiatives throughout

the government. This blueprint was unveiled in

February 2001. We will continue to look for new

areas in which we can improve our partnership.

Planning, Programming, and

Budgeting System Reform

We are reengineering the Air Force Resource

Allocation Process (AFRAP) to better link strategic

planning, requirements generation, programming

and budgeting, while providing a consistent focus

on capabilities throughout the process. This new

process will have a more rigorous and consistent

analytical underpinning than earlier methods.

Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System

Phase Overlap

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP

FY

01

FY

02

FY

03

Init Distribution

 Baseline Build Mid-Year Review Closeout

Panels Review

 Program Objective 

 Memorandum

OSD Program

 Review

Program 

 Decision

 Memo 1

Program Objective

 Memorandum to OSD

Baseline

 Extension

 (Even year)

MAJCOMs Brief 

 Program Objective 

 Memorandum

MAJCOMs 

 Build Amended 

 Program Objective 

 Memorandum

Hearings

Investment 

 Budget Review

Omnibus

Press Conf

OSD Review Joint Requirements

Budget Submit Pres. Budget

59
We are planning to give our major commands

an explicit slice of total obligation authority with

the flexibility to program funds to best meet their

own priorities. We believe this approach will

improve the accountability and visibility of

our resource requirements during the DoD and

congressional review and funding processes.

Financial Reform

We continue to make progress toward achieving

auditable financial statements as required by the

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Act. An Air Force

integrated process team is resolving issues related

to the reduction of erroneous or unsupported

obligations. This, in turn, will enable us to achieve

an auditable statement of budgetary resources. We

are making efforts to validate at least four of our

crucial inputs that provide the foundation for

unqualified audit opinions on Air Force financial

statements. All these efforts will provide better

financial information for Air Force commanders

and managers.

Logistics Transformation

The Defense Planning Guidance, DoD Logistics

Strategic Plan, and Defense Reform Initiative

Directive #54 (Logistics Transformation) all

identified a requirement for the services to

modernize their logistics programs. Accordingly,

we initiated a logistics transformation effort

designed to improve overall combat capability.

Through improved supply chain management

practices, this effort gives the warfighter a complete

picture of the enterprise’s supply, maintenance, and

sustainment support activities affecting readiness.

Reengineered logistical support concepts will

directly support warfighter readiness with a

tailored sustainment strategy for a downsized,

but expeditionary force structure, that is within

the budgets currently projected across the FYDP.

Depot Maintenance Strategy

Over the past year, we conducted a comprehensive

review of our depot maintenance strategy to ensure

our capability is properly sized for both wartime

and peacetime utilization. Our current depot

posture and future planning has been influenced

by the downsizing of our operational force; the

reduction of our organic infrastructure; a more

active and robust private sector; the introduction

As a result of recent reviews and our experiences in

Operation ALLIED FORCE, our depot strategy will

ensure that we possess an organic “core” capability

sized to support potential military operations.

Our combined civilian and military finance team

is working to make the Air Force more financially

agile and accountable.

60
of new technologies; and recent depot legislation

changes. This review reaffirmed that depot

maintenance is a critical element of our overall

warfighting capability. Our recent experience

in support of Operation ALLIED FORCE once

again proved the wisdom of having a ready and

controlled source of depot maintenance. As a

result, our depot strategy will ensure we possess

an organic “core” capability sized to support

potential military operations. In addition, we

recognize the need to efficiently utilize our

organic facilities during peacetime. To that

end, our depots are allowed to pursue repair

workload beyond their “core” requirements that

is awarded through public/private competitions

when doing so would increase their “core”

production efficiencies or offer a “best value”

source of repair.

Conclusion

In a time when the Air Force was asked to do

more with less, we succeeded in reinventing our

business approaches to capitalize both on the

inherent strengths of our enterprise and the best

practices found in the private sector. We are at

the forefront of apportioning positions between

military and civil service functions and those that

can be accomplished by contract personnel. We

are becoming interconnected with a single, Air

Force-wide network that puts crucial information

at everyone’s fingertips. We are reforming the

acquisition process and partnering with industry,

not only delivering products faster but assuring

superior quality as well. In the last decade,

our better business practices have saved billions

of dollars, allowing us to revolutionize the

application of aerospace power.

61

Chapter 6 Closing Thoughts

From the beginning of powered flight almost

100 years ago to the space-related operations we

conduct today, we have demonstrated that we are

an innovative and adaptive force. We were born

of change and it remains a part of our nature. We

will continue exploring new technologies and

operational concepts to identify those that offer

potential for evolutionary or revolutionary increases

in capability.

Our success as an aerospace force is founded on

recruiting the finest men and women available

and then retaining them. We must size, shape

and operate the force to best meet the needs

of our nation. Through the structure of our

ten Aerospace Expeditionary Forces, we provide

the Commanders-in-Chief (CINC) with trainedto-task forces, while adding predictability and

stability to the lives of our airmen. We owe our

people the education, equipment, and training to

perform the missions we ask them to do. Finally, to

keep our aerospace advantage, we must modernize

and replace our worn out, aging, and increasingly

difficult to maintain systems and infrastructure.

In a world that is globally-connected, national

security and international stability are vital

foundations of America’s prosperity. Ensuring

security and stability requires global vigilance,

reach, and power — global vigilance to anticipate

and deter threats, strategic reach to curb crises, and

overwhelming power to prevail in conflicts and

win America’s wars. We are postured to provide

balanced aerospace capabilities across the full

spectrum of military operations, but in order to

maintain America’s aerospace advantage we must

recapitalize our force.

63
www.issues.af.mil/posture/2001/