Recently, the Research Service of the United States Air Force released an article introducing the current research and development status, existing problems, and issues that Congress should pay attention to in the next step of the Air Force's Advanced Combat Management System (ABMS). The main content is as follows:

The Advanced Combat Management System is a project undertaken by the US Air Force to build the next generation of command and control systems. The system suggests utilizing cloud environments and new communication methods to enable seamless data sharing between the US Air Force and Space Force systems using artificial intelligence, thereby improving decision-making speed. The Air Force describes the "Advanced Combat Management System" as creating an "Internet of Things" that allows sensors and command and control systems to be separated from each other (in contrast to the traditional command and control approach of the Air Force). This project is part of the implementation of the Joint Integrated Command and Control (JADC2) capability of the Ministry of National Defense, which focuses on modernizing the operational decision-making process of the Ministry of National Defense.

The initial idea for developing the "Advanced Combat Management System" was to replace the E-3 early warning aircraft and command aerial combat operations, but its functional scope was later further expanded. Will Roper, the former Deputy Secretary of the Air Force responsible for procurement, called for the development of an "advanced combat management system" that should not only focus on command centers and aircraft, but also create digital technologies such as secure cloud environments to enable data sharing between multiple weapon systems. Roper stated that the conflict environment envisioned in the 2018 version of the National Defense Strategy has forced the Air Force to re plan the "Advanced Combat Management System" project. In May 2021, General David Orwen, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force, posted on the "Defense 1" website, stating, "What exactly is an advanced combat management system? Is it software, hardware, infrastructure, or policy? The answer is' all '. In other words, the Air Force envisions the "Advanced Combat Management System" as a procurement plan that can both procure materials and implement non research and development work deemed equally important by other branches of the military, namely new technologies for commanding and controlling airborne troops. Since the establishment of the "Advanced Combat Management System" project, Congress has shown interest in the development of the next generation of command and control. The Air Force stated that the Advanced Combat Management System is a non-traditional procurement plan. This has raised questions in Congress about the Air Force's approach to replacing old systems and validating emerging technologies.

1、 The Current Status of Research and Development of Advanced Combat Management System

Up to now, the Air Force has conducted 5 validation activities for the Advanced Combat Management System to demonstrate its desired new command and control capabilities for ultimate deployment. Specifically:

In December 2019, the Air Force held its first "Advanced Combat Management System" validation event codenamed "On ram" (a term used by the Air Force to express demonstration activities), demonstrating the ability to transmit data from Army radar and Navy destroyers to F-22 and F-35 fighter jets. The verification activity also showcased the Space Force's Unified Database (UDL), a cloud environment that integrates space-based and land-based sensors for tracking satellites.

In September 2020, the second "Advanced Combat Management System" validation activity was conducted in space. In this demonstration, the Air Force used high-speed weapons as a defense measure to detect and destroy a simulated cruise missile aimed at the United States. In addition, the Air Force demonstrated its ability to detect and thwart attempts to disrupt American space operations. According to Air Force News, "70 industrial teams and 65 government teams" participated in this demonstration event.

In late September 2020, the Air Force held its third "Advanced Combat Management System" validation event to support the "Brave Shield" exercise held at Pearl Harbor Hickam Joint Base. In this event, the US Air Force demonstrated the use of KC-46 tanker aircraft to perform tactical command and control tasks, transferring data from old fourth generation fighter jets to new fifth generation aircraft such as the F-22 fighter jet. In May 2021, the US Air Force announced that procuring communication pods for the KC-46 would be the first capability launched under the Advanced Combat Management System program. The Air Force stated that in combat, refueling aircraft are required to perform support missions in the vicinity of combat operations, so it is reasonable to use them as command and control systems, whether as primary command and control systems or elastic backup systems.

In February 2021, the fourth "Advanced Combat Management System" validation event was held in Europe. According to news reports, the Air Force has reduced the scale of its activities due to budget constraints. The fourth verification activity will connect allied countries including the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom to joint air operations. According to General Harrigan, Commander of the US Air Force in Europe, this demonstration event tested the ability of the United States and its allies to conduct long-range strike missions. F-15E fighter jets launched AGM-158 Joint Air to Ground Defense Missile (JASSM), while using US and allied F-35 fighter jets for air base defense missions.

The fifth "Advanced Combat Management System" validation event was originally scheduled to be held in the Pacific region in spring 2021, but was cancelled due to budget constraints.

2、 Suggestions from the Government Accountability Office on the "Advanced Combat Management System"

The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act instructed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the Advanced Combat Management System project. In a report released in April 2020, the Government Accountability Office proposed four action recommendations to the Chief Architect of the Air Force: firstly, to develop a plan to acquire mature technology for the development of an "advanced combat management system" if necessary. The second is to regularly update cost estimates to reflect the actual costs of the Advanced Combat Management System project and report to Congress quarterly. Thirdly, prepare a regularly updated project cost bearing capacity analysis report. The fourth is to formally clarify the procurement and decision-making authority of each office of the Air Force participating in the "Advanced Combat Management System" project. The Deputy Secretary of the US Air Force agrees with all of the above recommendations, but former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General David Goldfein, disagrees with these recommendations and points out that the analysis by the Government Accountability Office does not reflect confidential information. But the Government Accountability Office stated that it has seen the confidential information and that this additional information will not affect its analysis results and recommendations.

According to the same report from the Government Accountability Office, the Air Force initially designated Preston Dunlap as the Chief Architect of the Air Force, responsible for coordinating the development of the Advanced Combat Management System for various project execution offices. But the government accountability office is concerned that this management structure may lead to a lack of decision-making power in the system development process. In November 2020, Deputy Secretary Roper selected the Air Force Rapid Capability Office as the project execution office for the Advanced Combat Management System, while the Chief Architect's Office continued to develop the Air Force's architecture (i.e. how software and radio can be interconnected) to support the Advanced Combat Management System.

4、 The actions taken by Congress regarding the "Advanced Combat Management System" project

Congress has expressed interest in developing an "advanced combat management system" and has taken some measures against the system in the past three years' National Defense Authorization Act. This includes: Section 147 of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act: Restrictions on Retirement Funds for E-8 "Soyuz" Aircraft. Section 236 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act: Documents related to the Advanced Combat Management System. Section 146 of the 2021 Fiscal Year National Defense Authorization Act: Requirements for Mobile Target Indication and Functions of the Advanced Combat Management System; Section 221: Accountability measures related to the Advanced Combat Management System. The 2021 Fiscal Year Defense Appropriations Act reduces the funding for the Advanced Combat Management System from $302 million to $158.5 million, citing "unreasonable funding growth and upfront financing". Throughout the development process of the Advanced Combat Management System, Congress has been concerned about the lack of suitable replacement systems for retired old command and control systems such as the E-8 and E-3. Congress also requires the Air Force to provide traditional procurement justifications, such as cost estimates and requirement documents, to ensure that both Congress and the Air Force understand what needs to be procured.

5、 The next issues that Congress should pay attention to

What are the potential risks of using an advanced combat management system to decompose command and control? How should the Air Force balance innovation and experimentation by procuring mature technologies? What opportunities does the "Advanced Combat Management System" provide that traditional command and control systems cannot provide? Will the flexibility of budget authority for the "Software and Digital Technology Pilot Project" benefit the "Advanced Combat Management System"?

Source: Frontiers of Maritime Defense