Air Force identifies operational shortfalls

(EXCERPT) PRESS RELEASE -- Secretary of the Air Force, Directorate of
Public Affairs

Release No. 1217032 Dec 17, 2003

Air Force identifies operational shortfalls

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Air Force officials in September completed a
two-year analysis assessing current and future Air Force war-fighting
effects and capabilities. This process, called a Capabilities Review
and Risk Assessment, or CRRA, identified and prioritized critical
operational shortfalls in such areas as:

-- Global information grid. A globally interconnected capability that
collects, processes, stores, disseminates and manages information on
demand to warfighers, policy makers and support personnel

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

-- Fleeting and mobile targets. Reduce the time needed to find, fix,
track and target hostile forces

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

-- Base defense. Need to clarify roles and responsibilities between
the Air Force and sister services

-- Cargo airlift. A study to review requirements and prepare for
possible force structure changes

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

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

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

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

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

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---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com