Category: Strategy
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Your Radios: A Retiring Air Battle Manager’s Assessment of the Future of Command and Control and the Question I’m Leaving Behind
The autonomous era doesn’t eliminate the Air Battle Manager; it moves the job upstream, from managing execution in real time to designing the conditions under which machines can execute without real-time human input. Read more
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The Future of Airpower Still Depends on Air Battle Management
Efforts to modernize U.S. air battle management capabilities are more important now than ever, and the problem is increasingly urgent. These efforts are not optional, and require investment in platforms and improved service-wide clarity on what the future of air battle management means to the larger force. Read more
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C2ABM at the Edge of Escalation: Taiwan, Legacy Platforms, AI Reality, and the Decision Loop
Conflict around Taiwan will pose significant challenges, not the least of which include maintaining effective C2ABM. Such a conflict will require resilient C2ABM structures, a blending of legacy and emerging technologies, and, most importantly, competent human judgement. Read more
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Reorienting C2ABM: How the 2025 NSS and 2026 NDS Shift Focus to the Western Hemisphere and Indo-Pacific
The 2025 National Security Strategy and 2026 National Defense Strategy adjust military priorities. This shift will likely drive important changes to C2ABM systems, training, and employment. Read more
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Make it Make Sense: Air Battle Managers in the Age of Informationized Warfare
As the volume of information and number of exchange mediums grow, ABMs must sharpen their ability to manage complexity and fix communication errors. Mastering these skillsets uniquely postures ABMs to “make sense” and bring order to chaos to enable victory in informationized war. Read more
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Echoes from the Skies: Why Airpower’s Historical Lessons Are Vital in Today’s Fractured World
Airpower theory retains the themes that Billy Mitchell espoused a century ago, including the criticality of air superiority and centralized control of airpower, while experience also teaches that airpower must be integrated across joint domains. AEW&C remains a critical enabler for founding and contemporary airpower truths in modern combat. Read more
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Back to Key West: The Army Must Own Air Base Defense, Not Chase Air Force Missions
To counter modern aerial threats posed by China and Russia, the Army should re-prioritize air base defense instead of encroaching upon Air Force missions. Prioritizing funding for Patriot, THAAD, and emergent air defense systems will enable the joint force to conduct effective combat operations. Read more
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Air Superiority Is Key to Countering China: The Force Design for Victory
Air superiority remains essential, and recent conflicts demonstrate that alternate strategies lead to stalemate or defeat. Rapid investment in robust training and in advanced platforms like the E-7, F-35, and NGAD is critical for U.S. military dominance in the face of China’s growing capabilities. Read more