Air Force Modernization: New Investment Processes and Priorities for a 2020 Aerospace Force

摘要

There is a growing disconnect in DoD between resources and requirements and it is becoming increasingly evident in the USAF. This paper starts with an overview of the disconnect and a general discussion of the current 'Revolution in Military Affairs'-is it reality or hype and how does it impact any current or future Air Force investment strategies. Against this backdrop of technological innovation, the paper presents an appraisal of the DoD's Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS) and then more specifically, the Air Force's own planning processes are they functioning as originally intended. The paper then moves into an assessment of the current Air Force modernization plan, suggests a new model for integrated Air Force investment planning, and proposes several options for reprioritizing the current baseline investment strategy. The central focus of this section is an analysis of a recent joint AF/XP and SAF/AQ briefing on Future Modernization Priorities and Processes. Finally, any discussion of modernization cannot avoid the inescapable debate on affordability, which is covered in the last section continuing to serve as the world's only remaining military superpower is not cheap, but relatively affordable in our current, robust economy.