In Service to the Nation: Air Force Research Institute Strategic Concept for 2018-2023

摘要

On 12 September 2007, the Air University commander tasked the Air Force Research Institute to provide an 'outside-the-beltway' look at what the U.S. Air Force (USAF) should look like 10-15 years from now, roughly 2018-2023. The goal of this study is to identify the enduring attributes of the nation's air, space, and cyberspace force in the context of major transitions. The study attempts to understand the value of the service's contribution to national security and, where appropriate, offer considerations for change. It is not meant to be all encompassing, but rather provides insight into the most pressing issues facing the USAF in the post-Cold War era. Binding the strategy together is a redefinition of Global Vigilance, Global Reach, and Global Power; not in a weapons systems-specific context, but rather as a framework through which the USAF serves the nation. An underlying assumption is that while major combat operations, also known as conventional campaigns, are the most dangerous to America's national interest, the conduct of irregular warfare (IW) is the most likely. Accordingly, beyond recasting Global Vigilance, Reach, and Power, the study focuses on how the USAF can contribute to winning the current fight while simultaneously maintaining the technological superiority necessary for prevailing in the future fight. In relation to the current fight, the study discusses winning IW, air mobility, air-ground integration and the planning cycle, intelligence reform, the transformation of air power thought -- including integration of unmanned aerial systems, the Total Force, and air base disaster contingency planning. In maintaining USAF technological superiority, the study focuses on acquisition reform, nuclear surety and deterrence, intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and bomber modernization, space defense in depth, and operationally responsive space and cyberspace operations.