US Air Force,
ORLANDO: Air Force major command commanders spoke to Airmen, Air Force Association members and other attendees about the challenges facing their organizations during the AFA's 24th annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition held here Feb. 21and 22.
Driving home the urgent need to recapitalize the Air Force's aging fleet of aircraft and space systems, commanders outlined the effects that operating decades-old equipment has had on the ability of their commands' Airmen to perform their various missions.
“We are part of a team that supports federal agencies to make sure your families are protected,” said Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. “Some countries are developing and moving rapidly toward a fifth-generation capability, whether it's surface-to-air defense or air-to-air capability in their fighters. Do we know if they will be enemies or friends? The future is uncertain. But can we afford to lag behind them and wait and see? I think not.
“The terrorist threats we see today are the same threats we will see for some time in the future,” he continued. “If we don't anticipate where the next threat may come from, and if we don't begin to pull together air and space power and cyber capability, we're not doing our job to protect the American people.”
Gen. Carrol H. “Howie” Chandler, commander of Pacific Air Forces at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, briefed the audience about organizational changes within PACAF. Among those changes are the creation of the 36th Contingency Response Group at Andersen AFB, Guam, a group of assets organized under a single commander that can rapidly deploy anywhere theater-wide to set up an airfield. Also, plans continue to beddown the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle at Andersen beginning in 2009.
General Chandler also spoke about the need to modernize the tanker fleet at Hickam which ranges in age from 44 to 51 years old. These tankers provide the air bridge necessary to move cargo and fighter assets throughout the Pacific.
“I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I'll say again as I've said before, it's time to modernize the fleet. And in sufficient numbers to do it as quickly as possible,” he said.
Aircraft aren't the only Air Force assets in urgent need of recapitalization. U.S. Space Command is also challenged with using aging space systems to provide essential capabilities for the Air Force.
Would-be adversaries know how the U.S. uses space in its warfighting capabilities, and understand how challenging the Air Force on that front can provide a way to contend with American air power, said Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of Air Force Space Command at Peterson AFB.
General Kehler cited jamming attempts of American global positioning systems by foreign governments, and the use of an anti-satellite weapon by the Chinese last year as examples of developing threats for which the U.S. must be prepared.
“Space power has helped shape the American approach to warfare; it gives our warfighters a precise advantage,” General Kehler said. “Without space, military operations would be far less precise, focused, timely, coordinated and efficient, and far more costly.”
While the Air Force has made and is making strides to develop new systems and extend the life of existing systems, there is still a need for a new way of developing and deploying space capabilities, the general said.
Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt AFB, Neb., spoke of the need to reenergize the Air Force's nuclear capabilities. With nearly all the Airmen with experience in nuclear programs retired, and a waning focus on the nuclear mission since the end of the Cold War, nuclear capability is fast deteriorating.
“Today and in the future, we need a credible nuclear deterrent in the U.S.,” General Chilton said. “We also need people with the expertise to build, maintain and use them in a deterrent scenario. We need infrastructure to support that weapons system. And the warfighters need the tools to do the assigned missions; the weapons and delivery systems to pose a credible deterrent for our adversaries.”
Rounding out the conference, Generals John D.W. Corley, Arthur W. Lichte, Bruce Carlson and William R. Looney spoke to conference attendees on the second day.
General Corley, commander of Air Combat Command, spoke about the importance of maintaining air dominance and learning from previous conflicts and wars.
“Our ability to provide global vigilance, reach and power is predicated on the continued ability to own the skies,” he said. “Our ability to achieve air dominance depends on overmatch in both capability and capacity. We must possess and maintain overmatch, and today that's becoming increasingly at risk.”
Over the years, rivals have come to challenge the Air Force's capabilities, General Corley said. Decades-old fighters are overmatched by newer operational fighters being exploited by potential adversaries.
General Lichte echoed those concerns for Air Mobility Command aircraft.
“The size of the fleet and force are decreasing, but airlift requirements continue an upward trend,” said the AMC commander.
The general compared the current operations tempo to that of the Berlin Airlift, the largest humanitarian airlift effort in Air Force history. During the Berlin Airlift, aircraft in Berlin were taking off and landing every 90 seconds. Today, aircraft around the Air Force are conducting operations at a similar pace; every 82 seconds an AMC aircraft is taking off or landing somewhere in the world, General Lichte said.
“Since we started the Global War on Terror, our manpower has gone down some six percent, and we're doing this with some tired aircraft as well,” he said. “The mobility air forces have just short of 500 KC-135s, and we operate the oldest heavy airframes in the U.S. (compared to civilian industry). We should be thinking about moving these aircraft through our fleet at a much quicker pace so we can gain efficiencies.”
General Looney, commander of Air Education and Training Command, wrapped up the symposium with a speech on the state of Air Force education and training. He pointed out that AETC is meeting recruiting goals while maintaining high standards, and discussed improvements in training and educational programs.
Air Force officials are working toward offering scholarships for Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets interested in entering medical career fields. They are also extending combat skills training for basic trainees beginning in October, and expanding survival evasion resistance escape training to more career fields.
Additionally, in fiscal 2010, Common Battlefield Airman Training will be available for Airmen in certain career fields that require additional combat skills training for operations outside the wire at deployed locations.
