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Workshop One, Part One

OPENING REMARKS

As the first day of the workshop series opened, workshop series co-chairs Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel (USAF, ret.), independent consultant, and Ms. Deborah Westphal, chairman of the board, Toffler Associates, welcomed participants and thanked the planning committee; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine staff; and workshop presenters for their contributions to this endeavor to examine the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF’s) approach to digital transformation. Lt. Gen. Hamel described digital transformation as a critical effort for all 21st century organizations; however, while the rate of change of technology is remarkable, the available resources and talent to devote to it are limited.

He referenced National Academies efforts over the past several years that serve as a foundation to the topic of digital transformation, including a workshop on multi-domain command and control,¹ a workshop series on the time value of decision making,² and a study on energy needs at the tactical edge.³ All of these efforts relate to and raise questions about the DAF’s overarching digital transformation strategy. Lt. Gen. Hamel expressed his hope that, during this workshop series, the DAF could learn from others who have

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¹ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018, Multi-Domain Command and Control: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief, The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, https://doi.org/10.17226/25316.

² National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021, Adapting to Shorter Time Cycles in the United States Air Force: Proceedings of a Workshop Series, The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, https://doi.org/10.17226/26148.

³ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021, Energizing Data-Driven Operations at the Tactical Edge: Challenges and Concerns, The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, https://doi.org/10.17226/26183.

embarked on journeys of digital transformation across government, private sector, and academia so as to better understand challenges and opportunities.

THE DIGITAL AIR FORCE

Hon. Gina Ortiz Jones, Under Secretary of the Air Force, described the Secretary of the Air Force’s priority to ensure that the United States is best postured to compete with its near-peer and peer competitors in the new digital environment and, ultimately, win the fight. Sharing her perspective on digital transformation, Hon. Ortiz Jones emphasized the value of leveraging expertise and experiences external to the DAF. Noting how quickly technology has evolved over the past two decades, she said that the expectation to be able to connect, process data, and share information has become the norm. Therefore, digital transformation within the DAF is key to enabling the nation to compete for talent, meet the threat, and be good stewards of the American people’s trust and resources.

Reflecting on her time as an intelligence officer supporting close air support operations, Hon. Ortiz Jones underscored how quickly information should move between a collector and a shooter, for example, as well as the need for tools to ensure that the Air Force is “doing the right things and doing things right.” Digital transformation, she continued, should be geared toward achieving these objectives.

As part of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Hon. Ortiz Jones was responsible for incorporating sociocultural analysis into an overall understanding of the challenges and opportunities of security engagement activities on the continent. This experience made clear the value of pulling in the right data layers (some of which may not initially be readily accessible or comprehensible) to understand how U.S. words and actions are received by other countries with different cultures and belief systems. Thus, digital transformation is critical to helping the United States recognize its blind spots and ensure that it is communicating and achieving its intended goals. The objective of digital transformation is not only to make decisions faster but also to make decisions better, with a refined understanding of risk (including risk that could be introduced via the supply chain) and how that risk could be mitigated.

Hon. Ortiz Jones described a recent report on China’s efforts to fuse military and civilian capabilities, an approach that will shape how it constructs and implements its own digital transformation. The report emphasized applying a whole-of-government approach to achieve the following six national digital transformation goals: (1) infuse the national defense industrial base with the civilian technology and industrial base, (2) integrate and leverage science and technology innovations across military and civilian sectors, (3) cultivate talent and blend military and civilian expertise and knowledge, (4) look to build military requirements into civilian infrastructure and leverage civilian construction for military purposes, (5) leverage civilian service and logistics capabilities for military purposes in order to prosper, and (6) expand and deepen the national defense mobilization system to include all relevant aspects of the society and economy for use in competition and war.

Hon. Ortiz Jones explained that Secretary Kendall will set priorities for the United States based both on leveraging current capabilities and assessing those capabilities for a fight with a peer across the ocean. The Air Force has a legacy of developing and delivering high-end warfighting technology, and ongoing assessment will motivate how vigorously digital transformation is pursued. Incorporating partners and allies into sense-making capabilities will be crucial to the success of digital transformation, she continued, and building relationships and the digital infrastructure to share data is fundamental to U.S. national strategy. One particularly important goal is to shorten the kill chain; however, because so much of the information about how systems operate and communicate is classified, it is difficult to engage partners in this effort. It is important to ensure rapid and appropriate authorization to share this information as well as to ensure that partners have access to information that will allow them to defend themselves from attack. An alternate solution, although more challenging to achieve, would be to build a pathway for data from a highly classified system to flow down to a network so that U.S. partners are part of the system, would automatically get the data, and would make their own decisions about what to do with the data. She reiterated the need to embrace the strengths of allies and partners, as well as interoperable capabilities, for strategic competition.

Hon. Ortiz Jones noted that, currently, too many systems rely on airmen and guardians to transfer information manually or verbally, creating a lengthy decision-making process. The Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) could play an important role in allowing secure processing at all classification levels—connecting sensors and critical nodes in a spectrum of communication environments, managing all data, building an application (using artificial intelligence [AI] and machine learning [ML] to process data), and integrating sensors and effects (kinetic and non-kinetic) to produce desired outcomes. Reducing dependence on the human-in-the-loop speeds up the kill chain and reduces the chance of human error that could cause catastrophic loss. To achieve this vision for the future, she explained that the DAF needs airmen and guardians who understand the value of these systems and can cooperate within these networks, transforming them when necessary. It is important for the DAF to consider strategies to retain and continually challenge these airmen and guardians; it cannot risk losing these digital natives over their frustration with antiquated processes and procedures. The DAF has to recruit a diverse, inclusive, and talented team and allow flexibility in career development. She mentioned the DAF’s world-class training programs (e.g., Digital University) and added that senior leaders are responsible for incentivizing professional development and personal improvement for airmen and guardians.

Hon. Ortiz Jones remarked that industry will help lead the government’s digital transformation. She advocated for the Department of Defense (DoD) to remove barriers to entry for both small and large industry enterprises so as to best tap into the nation’s talent pool. The defense and technical industry has built itself around DoD’s requirements, but moving forward, it is important that DoD becomes more inclusive. While the digital portfolio is constructed, she continued, industry and academic partners should be provided with a degree of predictability and stability so that they can invest appropriately and reduce their own risk and uncertainty. She emphasized that, as the nation’s digital economy continues to grow, the United States cannot afford to lose competitors in the defense sector.

To integrate the digital transformation timeline, partners, and processes at the department level, the J6 will engage closely with the joint partners on the joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) effort. Governance structures will also need to be adapted as the Space Force continues to strengthen: now that the two forces are operating as one team, she asserted that decision-making processes should be structured accordingly. In closing, Hon. Ortiz Jones solicited feedback from the Air Force Studies Board about any missed opportunities to recruit and retain airmen and guardians; risks, challenges, and opportunities that should be considered when assessing capabilities and generating timelines; and better ways to communicate with appropriators in Congress the message that although the digital transformation will be expensive and challenging, it is necessary to become a more resilient digital force that can confront the threat.

Mr. Alden Munson, senior fellow and member, Board of Regents, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, said that it could be a disservice to the nation if digitization efforts move beyond DoD’s ability to defend those efforts—a vulnerable infrastructure still exists. He asked if the suppliers of the infrastructure on which digitization will occur would be expected to address this security challenge. Hon. Ortiz Jones recognized Mr. Munson’s concern and agreed that critical infrastructure should be survivable. She emphasized the importance of the ability to protect communications nodes and to identify and act upon potential threats quickly. Lt. Gen. Hamel noted that transformations are not destinations; they are “journeys” with an everchanging set of dynamics.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Gen. David W. Allvin, Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force, expressed his excitement about the future state of digital transformation when data-driven decisions could be made at much greater speed but also noted his frustration with the amount of time it is taking to achieve this vision. He referenced Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.—“We must Accelerate Change or Lose (ACOL), and the ACOL paper is the result of my detailed assessment.”⁴ Gen. Allvin emphasized that accelerating digital transformation is the

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⁴ See CSAF-22-Strategic-Approach-Accelerate-Change-or-Lose-31-Aug-2020.pdf, airforcemag.com, p. 3.

key to maintaining—or regaining—the edge that the United States has been losing in competition. He underscored the importance of security from the start of any digital transformation endeavor, especially the integration of a zero-trust architecture.

While Gen. Allvin commended the joint force for its efforts to limit loss of life and enhance lifesaving during the recent Afghanistan retrograde, he wondered how much of that effort had to be performed without the proper tools—tools that could have enabled a more seamless understanding and awareness of the situation, streamlined and accelerated responses, and increased efficiency. Without a digital infrastructure that allows data sharing that enables machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to make better decisions at the speed of relevance, the United States could be at an operational disadvantage with respect to its strategic competitors. ABMS is expected to address this need for operational speed, he continued, but fully integrated data analytics are also needed to enhance investment decisions in a relevant time frame so that decisions are not solely based on past experiences.

Gen. Allvin posited that additional digital processes would add value to the force; for example, robotic processes and automation could perform manual tasks, giving airmen more time and space to use their cognitive skills. A digitally transformed Air Force that relies on data-driven insights also enhances decision making related to human capital—for example, better understanding areas of risk and better allocation of resources and talent to maintain airmen’s resiliency. His primary objective is to achieve the future state of digital transformation as quickly as possible; the first step is ensuring that this new culture is fully integrated in the people and processes of the Air Force, where speed is rewarded over deliberation.

Ms. Westphal suggested that because decision making is and will remain a human endeavor, accelerated decision-making requires practice before the future state of digitization is realized. She asked how the Air Force is practicing accelerated decision making with the technology and tools it currently has. Gen. Allvin remarked that practicing accelerated decision making and achieving the state of digitization are transformations that could happen in parallel. The culture has to change to accept more risk, but if more data are available, people will be more likely to accept risk. The bureaucracy presents a challenge in that its level of risk aversion and its comfort with slower decision making could cause the nation to lose the fight, he continued.

Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds (USAF, ret.), chief executive officer, IAI North America, pointed out that overloading a decision maker with too much data could also be problematic. Gen. Allvin proposed thinking carefully about this issue and developing a structured information hierarchy for the types and quantities of data that would be most useful for decision making. This is especially important for time-bound decisions, he asserted, because as the future unfolds, decisions will need to be made faster.

Gen. David D. (“DT”) Thompson, Vice Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force, described the symbiotic relationship of the Air Force and Space Force: (1) the Space Force’s digital transformation efforts are built on the infrastructure and support apparatus provided by the Air Force; (2) the Space Force has an opportunity to be a “pathfinder” and implement its successful efforts in the larger, more diverse Air Force; and (3) the Air Force and Space Force have to be tightly integrated for efforts such as ABMS and JADC2 to be effective.

Gen. Thompson provided an overview of the Space Force’s functions: space operations; development and fielding of space systems; intelligence associated with developing, fielding, and operating space systems; and cyberspace operations. Gen. Thompson thinks the Space Force seeks digital transformation not because digital is the reality of the future but because digital is the reality of today. However, the Space Force, which he described as a “digital dinosaur,” is neither state of the world nor state of the art in its current capabilities. If the Space Force does not transform quickly and become a leader, he continued, it could become irrelevant and obsolete, which could have grave consequences for the nation. He reiterated that because the Space Force is small and digitally focused, it has the opportunity to experiment in areas that may be too difficult or too risky for larger, more complex services.

Gen. Thompson remarked that in order to demonstrate space superiority and protect the nation’s interests in space; to deter aggressive acts from others; and to ensure freedom of action for the space forces, the space systems, and the forces in the air, on the ground, and at sea, the Space Force has to dominate the digital domain. Space capabilities revolve around information and data being provided to the rest of the

joint force and to national decision makers. To operate effectively, he asserted that the Space Force has to drive an innovative mindset into the culture and be interconnected (i.e., sharing data and information as well as analysis and capabilities). This interconnection would enable fluid, fluent, and confident operations in the digital domain. To build this digital service, Gen. Thompson is pursuing the following initiatives:

1. Digital Workforce. Every member of the Space Force needs a foundational level of knowledge in networks, data, data structures, interfaces for exchange of data, and cybersecurity, for instance. Much of this knowledge can be obtained through the DAF’s Digital University. Additionally, a “Supra Coders” course provides 6 weeks of training in advanced coding techniques that can be used to improve processes, products, and tools. Some of the individuals who have completed this training will join combat development teams who work with operators to try to understand their challenges and improve their effectiveness. The third tier of training available is for those who strive to be “cyber ninjas,” with expertise in cyberspace operations, network operations, and network defense. Guardians will be expected to pursue advanced degrees, research, and certificates in cybersecurity and cyber operations to ensure that the workforce has the digital fluency to meet future challenges.
2. Digital Engineering. Acquisition processes have to be built on model-based digital engineering platforms, with the addition of long-term maintenance and sustainability plans for the life cycle of the system.
3. Digital Headquarters. The ability to sense, understand, and provide the right information in context in a timely fashion to decision makers will allow for quicker responses. Because action unfolds rapidly in space, some responses will be automated and automatic.
4. Digital Operations. Underlying agile processes make it possible to achieve this rapid, innovative culture.

Emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity, Dr. Marv Langston (USN, ret.), independent consultant, asked how the DAF plans to address the issue that the adversary can access information through the operational defense industrial base infrastructure. Gen. Thompson expressed his frustration and confusion at how this exfiltration of data has occurred for years. He emphasized that if data are on an unclassified network, one should assume that those data are exposed and available to an adversary. Better approaches are needed to protect these data. One solution is using a higher classification level. But, not an extreme classification level—an approach that has been problematic in the past. The attack surface could also be reduced by building requirements to adequately protect the data into contracts with vendors, and limiting the amount of data available at the subcontractor, subvendor, and vendor levels. Gen. Allvin added that a zero-trust architecture is key to addressing this issue. The old information protection mentality was to remove data suspected to have been compromised from the networks. But this mentality slows down the Air Force and cedes space to the enemy. This path must be altered to achieve accelerated decision making. In addition, Dr. Langston sees a lack of productivity related to classified information and processes—not protecting what needs to be protected the most! This negates the whole thrust to be agile in the digital world. Gen. Allvin commented that it is crucial to make decisions about cybersecurity in the context of strategic risks—the risk of exfiltration, the risk of not making a decision, and the risk of overclassification.

Ms. Westphal asked if the Space Force’s digitization efforts will be different from those of the Air Force. Gen. Thompson reiterated that the Air Force has provided an excellent digital education platform. So, the Air Force will train the Space Force’s cyberspace operators. It is expected that some of the approaches to digital transformation between the Air Force and the Space Force could and should be different as long as the operational effectiveness and ability to integrate and interoperate are not compromised. Gen. Allvin commented that while efforts could diverge in the operational sense, an enterprise approach will still exist. There are fundamental decision-making levels that require a certain amount of data fusion, aggregation, and rights. A unified forward movement is needed for these enterprise decisions.

Lt. Gen. Hamel asked Gen. Allvin and Gen. Thompson how this workshop series could be most helpful for the respective services. Gen. Allvin sought insights on the synchronization and sequence of digital transformation efforts and lessons from industry about strategies to evolve culture rapidly. Which business apparatus allows the fastest forward movement would also be useful. Gen. Thompson emphasized his desire to make the right investments, in the right order, at the right rime, based on the right information, and he solicited workshop participants’ feedback on those challenges. He also requested feedback on whether the vision for the digital service makes sense and if there are potential opportunities or pitfalls.

WHY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION? A PANEL PRESENTATION

Lt. Gen. Bradley “Salty” Saltzman, Deputy Chief for Operations, Space Force, offered his perspective of the digital transformation, based on Gen. John Raymond’s intent in the Space Force’s Vision for a Digital Service.⁵ Lt. Gen. Saltzman stressed that, given the lean nature of the Space Force, leveraging technology is a necessity to be effective and agile (e.g., reducing manpower through automation or making better and more rapid decisions with AI, ML, and software decision aids).

He explained that the Space Force views digital transformation in terms of decision speed, resource allocation, and acquisition enhancement, all in support of operations. The four initiatives described by Gen. Thompson are key to achieving this transformation, he continued. First, a digital workforce has the expertise to evaluate available technologies. The Space Force guardians will have digital fluency, with the ability to understand and use the appropriate digital vocabulary to select technologies that will support operational outcomes. Thus, there is strong motivation to provide education and training for these guardians. Second, an emphasis on digital engineering allows the Space Force to fail more quickly. For example, the use of digital twins enables faster, less expensive testing. Digital engineering could enhance the acquisition process by resolving unknowns and helping to mature technology, selecting the right systems and subsystems, and doing rapid integration, all in a cost-effective manner. Third, the digital headquarters is responsible for identifying the gaps in the Space Force’s ability to meet the mission set and shifting resources to maintain readiness or to maintain an effective scale and timeline for force modernization. Decision support software powered by AI and ML (e.g., data collected in a dashboard format) could enable key leaders to make informed decisions for resourcing. Fourth, digital operations (i.e., a composite of digital workforce, engineering, and headquarters) is the realization that the space domain is essentially a virtual domain—the interactions in the space domain are primarily enabled by software and radio frequency energy. Lt. Gen. Saltzman said that it is critical to create a virtual environment in which operators can train on their tactics against a thinking adversary, improve their tradecraft, and be prepared to face peer competitors. Leveraging emerging virtual operational test and training infrastructure requires a digital shift in how exercises and advanced training are conducted.

Brig. Gen. Robert Lyman, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Cyber Effects, Headquarters Air Force (HAF) A2/6, remarked that technology changes the nature of warfare, and command and control is underpinned by digital capabilities that provide decision support. Digital capabilities are also critical for solving problems related to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). He described digital transformation as the opportunity to combat engineer the landscape on which we fight in the cyber domain; in other words, digital transformation is about maintaining or regaining competitive advantage against adversaries. Focusing on the threat creates an opportunity to prioritize investments for digital transformation. If the Air Force does not prioritize investments in digital transformation, he continued, it is accepting a substantial amount of risk. He emphasized that a culture shift is needed to eliminate the “tribalism” of the Air Force, to embrace expertise, and to invest in building the right team of senior-level warfighters.

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⁵ SF/CTIO, 2021, U.S. Space Force Vision for a Digital Service,https://media.defense.gov/2021/May/06/2002635623/-1/-1/1/USSF%20VISION%20FOR%20A%20DIGITAL%20SERVICE%202021%20(2).PDF.

Brig. Gen. Lyman described several transformative efforts emerging from the A2/6. For example, a Program Action Directive (PAD) could transform communication squadrons into cyber squadrons by standing up mission defense teams that would defend the cyber terrain associated with various weapons systems. However, in the past 2 years, this effort has not survived the Program Objective Memorandum, and the A2/6 is now working on making that PAD more affordable. Another A2/6 initiative is an expeditionary communications PAD associated with combat communication, engineering, and installation squadrons. The objective of this initiative is to organize, train, and equip more expeditionary communicators so as to be able to support the agile combat employment that will empower forces in the Pacific and in Europe to move quickly between locations and continue to operate. There are also ongoing efforts related to the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) superiority strategy, the A2/6’s Air Force ISR cloud strategy, and high-frequency network modernization to improve communication and capabilities in the Arctic.

Mr. Edwin Oshiba, Senior Executive Service, Director of Resource Integration, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, HAF A4, explained that digital transformation is essential to support logistics for the men, women, and machines at war. Because resources will always be limited, he continued, it is essential to know what technology is available, where it is located, and where it needs to be moved. Furthermore, it is crucial to understand the implications of these decisions: for every action there is a reaction, and that cycle moves quickly while under kinetic and non-kinetic attack. Technology provides global visibility, enables knowledge-sharing, clarifies complex relationships from seemingly unrelated data, predicts (versus reacts), and presents the opportunity to experiment before building (via digital engineering), which speeds up the cycle of testing, failing, and improving.

Mr. Oshiba asserted that technology is not the barrier to digital transformation—technology is readily available and accessible from industry. The challenge is the culture change needed to leverage that technology and to convince people to experiment and accept failure. Although funding and policy for transformative efforts can sometimes prove difficult, resources can typically be found and policy can be changed. He reiterated that the DAF will lose the fight if it does not accelerate change.

Mr. Oshiba highlighted two white papers that address the problem of conducting logistics under attack: (1) “Operational Business of Basing Logistics” describes the role of digital transformation in striking a balance between combat effectiveness and resource efficiency.⁶ From the business perspective, it is important to understand root causes and reduce the growth in sustaining requirements (e.g., integrating sustainability into weapons system design, perhaps utilizing digital engineering, or by leveraging what already exists). Enterprise suite management is only possible with visibility, and enterprise materiel support could be improved by aligning and synchronizing diverse supply chains. In addition to reducing the reliance on single sources of supply and adding resilience into the supply chain, it is important to expand repair networks by leveraging available capabilities and capacities from the depots to the backshops. Most importantly, he continued, the DAF has to capitalize on data, and apply data analytics and industry best practices to make the best decisions at a rapid pace. (2) “Persistent Logistics” describes the value of the following actions from an operational perspective:⁷

• Posture for interstate competition by expanding sustainment partnerships with allies to access interoperable supplies, parts, commodities, and repair capabilities; presenting forces in a way that supports distributive adaptive operations; delivering agile energy sources; and instituting passive defense measures.
• Use sensing for shared understanding by modernizing IT systems and integrating those systems with allies and partners, delivering situational awareness by fusing disparate data sets, and leveraging AI and ML to help increase the speed of decision making.

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⁶ The “Operational Business of Basing & Logistics” White Paper is CUI.

⁷ The “Persistent Logistics” White Paper is CUI; however, there is a publicly releasable version released as a Mitchell Institute Forum paper at https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/air-force-persistent-logistics-sustainingcombat-power-during-21st-century-competition-and-conflict/.

• Respond to warfighter needs at the speed of relevance by providing resilient distribution options while under attack, leveraging autonomous systems to minimize personnel footprint, and rapidly repairing. If the posture and sensing are done correctly, response could be reduced.

In closing, Mr. Oshiba reiterated that the foundation for all of these efforts is data. He advocated for treating data as a valuable commodity; rewarding innovation; valuing outcome over activity; prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in problem-solving; and creating a culture that is comfortable with change, accepting of mistakes, trustworthy, and empowered to make decisions at the lowest levels.

Open Discussion

Workshop One chair Gen. James (Mike) Holmes (USAF, ret.), senior advisor, The Roosevelt Group, asked how a digital strategy could enable virtual training aids. Lt. Gen. Saltzman described an analysis that revealed that operators do not have the tools to reach the next level of advanced training; for example, the simulators in use are simply emulators of the consoles to interact with the weapons systems, and there is no connection to a thinking adversary trying to deny mission effects. If there were an augmented reality of the space domain and available systems where operators could take actions and a thinking adversary could try to deny the missions the operators were trying to accomplish, this could better prepare operators to maintain a mission set in a contested environment and help validate tactics in a new way. If high-fidelity digital twins are integrated into the augmented reality, meaningful conclusions could be drawn. Lt. Gen. Saltzman envisioned a day in which operators wear three-dimensional virtual reality goggles while competing in an emulator as an “adversary” tries to block tactics, and then creating a demand signal for the acquisition community to enhance the weapons system.

Ms. Westphal inquired about frameworks to identify steps forward in the digital transformation. Mr. Oshiba emphasized the value of “soft skills,” such as the development of culture and partnerships. For example, the Air Force has an Australian exchange officer embedded, which helps to understand the issues of allies and partners. He also described Air Force internships with Delta Tech Ops, Amazon, and General Electric—all of which have dealt with logistical sustainment problems—that have allowed the Air Force to learn and adapt relevant lessons.

Lt. Gen. Hamel asked how DAF leaders could articulate the data accessibility and computational capabilities they need to do their jobs. Lt. Gen. Saltzman remarked that operators and the acquisition community sometimes have a difficult time describing their needs to industry. The creation of a DevSecOps environment, in which software experts are invited to work collaboratively with operators, has been a successful approach. Having all of the communities work together in a common environment to solve a problem is much more effective than defining requirements in isolation and then passing them on to another group. Brig. Gen. Lyman added that the Air Force is still trying to create and scale the innovation ecosystem needed to achieve this vision (e.g., the federated cloud capability to make data available and the DevSecOps platform that allows tool developers to do quick work alongside the operations community). Lt. Gen. Saltzman explained that universal access to data is a foundation of this new approach; data and policy stovepipes prevent full exploitation of available technology. Mr. Oshiba noted that in terms of the requirements process, the Air Force should discuss its desired capability with industry and let industry help derive the answer (instead of the Air Force trying to provide the answer). Gen. Holmes commented that an important aspect of this cultural change is using the digital transformation to create an effective narrative that will draw funding for efforts that use data to solve problems. Mr. Munson added that several sensitive issues may arise in the attempt to change culture. For example, military services are built around the potential to fight and die as well as the associated chain of command considerations. Because there is no analogue to this mentality in industry (i.e., the communities have different value and trade-off priorities), he continued, effective communication between the two communities can be difficult. Mr. Munson and Gen. Holmes suggested the creation of a new model for interaction between operators and industry.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PLANS AND PROGRAMS: A PANEL PRESENTATION

Col. Jeff Mrazik, Deputy Chief of the ABMS Cross-Functional Team, Air Force Futures, HAF A5, explained that ABMS is central to operationalizing the digital transformation that will enable future warfighting. ABMS combines advances in infrastructure and software with the evolution in policy and training to connect the combined force, with an objective for ubiquitous discovery, access, understanding, transporting, and use of real-time data across service, domain, and national classification boundaries. To achieve digital transformation, he continued, an effective planner begins at the top of the organization, involving partners and supporting the joint warfighting strategy and concepts. HAF A5 works closely with the Joint Staff J6 via the JADC2 efforts. Progress is occurring quickly and in parallel to the writing of joint documentation.

The JADC2 reference architecture helps to ensure coherence among the services, especially in their approaches to acquisition, programming, and the creation of the future joint force. Col. Mrazik described a concerted effort to prevent services from entering “stovepipes of excellence.” He noted that transformation requires prioritization and sequencing, for which a campaign plan is being developed. This campaign plan details eight required warfighting capabilities: data sharing, advanced communications, advanced sensing, distributed decision making, integrated planning, accelerated decision making, and commanding and controlling the convergence of effects, all of which are underpinned by human capital development. The data-sharing tenet of the campaign plan has resulted in a data-sharing capability development plan for ABMS as well as a capability development memorandum, both of which are motivated by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s commitment to “accelerate change or lose.” The ABMS Cross-Functional Team is closely partnered with the Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) for component acquisition; with DoD to host a series of data summits; and with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to ensure coherence with the Air Force’s strategy.

Col. Mrazik explained that the first step of digital transformation is the creation of the underlying digital infrastructure. The RCO is developing some of this digital architecture and working closely with the Office of the Chief Information Officer, the Air Force Chief Data Office, A2/6, and across the rest of Air Force Futures to ensure coherence. The first phase of operation is to connect the force in a way that is inherently resilient to major attack. Modernized technology (e.g., AI, ML, digital translation) also enables the acceleration of processes—to generate more efficiency, for example, by optimizing the role of the human in processes and letting the machine take over tasks for which the human does not add value. By better connecting sensors and data sources, he continued, it would be possible to provide higher-quality data faster to decision makers; this decision making could be accelerated even further with machine-introduced courses of action and machine-enabled co-development. In closing, Col. Mrazik remarked that what is most challenging about the digital transformation is the number of moving parts involved in the search for winning approaches. Gen. Holmes pointed out that the security framework should also underpin the components of the campaign plan that Col. Mrazik described, and Mr. Munson underscored the need to think about the cyber implications of integration techniques and to make these challenges clear to those producing the infrastructure.

Col. Sean Kern, Chief of the Cyberspace Superiority Panel, HAF A8, echoed the notion presented by previous panelists that “fast beats slow.” Referencing Gen. Charles Brown’s vision for the future of the Air Force, he explained that information advantage leads to decision advantage, which leads to operational advantage. Deb Westphal commented that while these relations are possible, they are not guaranteed. Information advantage can still be lost if decision makers have not prepared and trained themselves to make critical decisions. She cautioned about relying too much on a technical silver bullet without also preparing the human decision maker via exercises.

One strength that the United States has over its adversaries is its relationships with its allies and partners. Given that this joint approach to warfighting is essential, the challenge, then, is in adding and removing partners at the speed the mission requires to deliver the required outcomes, Col. Kern emphasized that the Air Force’s transformation to faster operations thus demands rapid technological change; a change

in the character of war; initiation of a joint warfighting concept; and expanded maneuver, which requires aggregating and disaggregating at mission-relevant speed to achieve the desired effects in a denied, destructed, intermittent, and low-bandwidth environment. An understanding of the balance of edge computing and core computing capabilities is also needed for planning and programming. If the Air Force can close thousands of kill chains in hundreds of hours, he continued, it could consider itself successful.

Col. Kern commented that the Air Force needs to increase its speed in agile combat employment—the ability to sense, infer, and act locally; tag relevant data; and transport those data to the core to learn globally. Inferring locally but only tagging what is relevant reduces the amount of data that need to be transported, which benefits the decision maker who will interact with those data. However, the practice of tagging relevant data is not yet part of the Air Force’s strategy. It is also critical to plan and continue to program for software factory capabilities. Because the limits of hardware have been reached and the competitive advantage will come from software, software factories have begun to emerge. Reiterating the perspective of the Defense Innovation Board, Col. Kern said that the Air Force does not have a technology problem; it has a technology adoption problem. Because much of the needed technology already exists in the commercial sector, he continued, a new culture should be built in the Air Force, and policies that prevent leveraging leading-edge capabilities should be reviewed.

Col. Kern explained that Air Force Futures includes design elements based on the operational problems that best suit a deep dive (e.g., logistics under attack, critical infrastructure defense, long-range kill-chain, agile combat employment); the A9 conducts analysis against the design; the A8 facilitates discussion about how to resource that design; and the design is eventually included in the 30-year resource allocation plan. It is difficult to find the right balance between planning in the current platform-centric approach and planning for the transition to a network-centric approach. One way to enable that shift is to engage in more crosscutting dialogue—for example, discussing cybersecurity and defense of cyber operations in the context of securing and assuring the ABMS military Internet of Things. He described two efforts that have surfaced in the planning choices⁸ for the 30-year resource allocation plan for future force design. The first is the “critical path,” which includes Cloud One, a hybrid multi-cloud capability at the enterprise level, and the DAF’s “data fabric,” which is intended to federate six known data platforms to democratize data. He reiterated that data have to be treated as a strategic asset and aggregated to generate insights for decision making. The critical path also includes Platform One, an agile software development construct. The second effort for which a wedge has been inserted in the resource allocation plan relates to zero trust. In a zero-trust environment, the user, device, and operational context are always “untrusted until trusted” for each individual transaction within a session. The Air Force believes that this is the only way to adequately secure the military Internet of Things and the people connected to it. The Non-Classified Internet Protocol Router Network, the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, and the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System would essentially be collapsed in a zero-trust environment, he continued, and, based on the nature of the mission, users could be added and removed from the environment at will.

Mr. Rowayne “Wayne” Schatz, Senior Executive Service, Director for Studies, Analyses, and Assessments, HAF A9, explained that the Air Force is trying to create an organization that can deploy forward with connectivity to a centralized ABMS, that when disconnected retains the talent and capability to fight under commander’s intent with the tools available at the wing level. The doctrine, training, and experiments needed to realize that vision are under way. Gen. Holmes asked if doctrine will support digital modernization, and Mr. Schatz replied that doctrine promotes the adoption of the information technology and the data strategy to operations. Gen. Holmes noted that the Air Force believes that the threat drives the need to disaggregate forces, which drives the complexity and the difficulty in the modernization strategy (i.e., deciding how to command and control, support, and sustain that disaggregated approach).

Mr. Schatz mentioned that part of the Air Force’s data journey includes identifying key use cases to drive experimentation, to learn about the value of data science, and to deliver products that help change internal processes and improve performance. He explained that the Air Force stood up its digital initiative

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⁸ A planning choice is a “wedge” in the resource allocation plan for some amount of resourcing associated with whatever capability that the Air Force is trying to prepare for in the future force design.

4 years ago, which included a “readiness pathfinder” led by the A3. Over a period of 2 years, 20 different data sources from across the Air Force were moved to a secure environment—essentially the first secure data cloud approved for use in the Air Force—and the A3 helped the Major Commands and Air Combat Command to become more comfortable using live data dashboards for monthly readiness reviews. This enabled those at the squadron level to have the same view of data as those at the chief-of-staff level. He described this effort as an accelerator for the data journey: the Air Force now has an enterprise-level platform, the Vault (hosted by Cloud One and provisioned by the tools in Platform One), into which all data feed.

Mr. Schatz expressed his belief that the Air Force has reached the inflection point at which it will begin to benefit from data. For example, with the conduct of deep dives for the A8 and the weapons systems sustainment portfolio, it is possible to review data over 10- and 15-year periods and begin to connect mission-capable rates and aircraft availability to funding. Data from planning, programming, budgeting, and execution systems can also be used to connect planning and programming to actual expenditures, which is crucial for the business aspect of organizing, training, and equipping the Air Force. Not only do these data allow for better business management, he continued, but they also benefit operations. He anticipated that it could be 2 years before the connective features of ABMS are fully realized; in the meantime, a data architecture and a cloud environment are being constructed that will link several main air operations centers with high-bandwidth communications to create a resilient, connected ecosystem, which will change the state of air warfare. In closing, Mr. Schatz emphasized the role of human capital management in the Air Force’s digital transformation: despite all of the hype around AI and ML, it is important to remember that technology functions when smart data scientists and operations research analysts help convert data into useful applications for leaders to make decisions.

Open Discussion

Mr. Martin Akerman, Chief Data Strategist, Office of the Chief Data Officer, DAF, noted that to create data pipelines, funding should be allocated for the data provider even though the data user benefits. The current model, he continued, presents a disincentive to improve data. Col. Kern said that the Air Force is considering a tiered structure to manage and prioritize resourcing. For example, Tier 1 would be centrally managed and centrally funded (e.g., a Cloud One enterprise, with benefit to all airmen); and Tier 2 would centrally manage the foundational services, but the customer would pay to play, which would require additional compute and store capabilities. Mr. Akerman suggested consulting with industry about approaches to costing and cost recovery.

Lt. Gen. Hamel inquired about the use cases that are being developed for communities of interest and responsibility. Col. Mrazik mentioned that the A5 is working on end-to-end kill chain analysis, alongside the A8, A9, A2/6, and the Air Warfare Center, as well as with the LeMay Center on disconnected disaggregation. Mr. Schatz added that the A9 is trying to develop a strategy to prioritize data efforts; for example, projects that bring new data sources to the enterprise portfolio would be funded before those that utilize already available data. Such a strategy would promote obtaining data that provide insight as well as expanding enterprise capability.

Gen. Holmes asked how the Air Force is managing the technology it fields now alongside the technology it will field in the future. Col. Kern described the challenge of trying to meet the needs of Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, while still having tradespace to make a transformative, strategic redirection for the Air Force. He noted that approximately $12 billion to $15 billion per year is being spent on IT-related costs; however, the DAF chief information officer (CIO) only has access to 10 percent of that budget. With that little centralized control, the CIO will not be able to make a strategic impact on the digital capabilities of the DAF. Different funding models are being considered so that the CIO could prioritize and deliver a reliable enterprise service. Lt. Gen. Hamel asked how much funding is being allocated for common user infrastructure and services as well as who is responsible for advocating for this funding. Col. Kern asserted that the DAF CIO should be

the primary advocate for strategic prioritization of 21st century digital infrastructure, but she does not have the resources to do so. He said that the DAF first has to establish the right policies to better manage the spending of limited resources. A potential approach would be to identify offsets that have saved the organization money (e.g., closing on-premise data centers) and reprogram those funds into the portfolio to articulate priorities moving forward. He depicted the tension between doing trend analysis and earmarking funds for centralization versus the need for commanders to have flexibility in execution to accommodate shifting operational priorities.

DOD DIGITAL MODERNIZATION STRATEGY

Mr. John Sherman, Acting DoD CIO, defined the four key pillars of DoD’s modernization strategy: (1) cloud; (2) cybersecurity; (3) AI; and (4) command, control, and communications. Introduced in 2019, this “unifying strategy” continues to drive modernization across DoD. The Joint AI Center was also launched in 2019, followed by the establishment of the chief data officer position. Under the current administration, new priorities have emerged that emphasize preparation for near-peer competition and joint all-domain warfighting. He described JADC2 as the unifying operational vision for digital modernization: it will transfer data and insight across coalition boundaries from a disconnected environment to the point of decision and help to access the enemy’s decision cycle.

Mr. Sherman explained that DoD’s early cybersecurity efforts focused on hygiene and compliance as a first step on the path to zero trust—a defense strategy that assumes that the enemy is already inside the network. To gain advantage over potential attackers, DoD could defend its network by segregating the data in a more granular way than in the past, using sensors across the network, and moving from signature-based analysis to behavioral-based analysis. DoD will look to the DAF, which has made progress in identity, credential, and access management (ICAM), to share lessons learned from its initial implementation of zero trust. He mentioned that DoD has begun to move to a multi-cloud environment—the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability—to best support JADC2 and noted that the Air Force has also been a leader in enterprise cloud efforts.

Mr. Sherman described DoD’s AI and Data Accelerator Initiative (a partnership with the Joint Staff), in which data teams and AI teams will be sent to Combatant Commands to help unlock the power of AI and data. A related initiative is the Global Information Dominance Experiments, which offer a future vision for the Combatant Command. He emphasized that data and software development are essential for the success of JADC2 and AI, respectively, and it is critical that security is “baked in” to software development activities to enable continuous authority to operate. He added that the EMS is essential to prepare to fight in future contested environments, as is the operation of 5G networks. His team works closely with Research and Engineering, Acquisition and Sustainment, and the services, as well as the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Commerce, on efforts to ensure that U.S. telecommunications dominate Chinese endeavors in this realm.

Mr. Jeff Jones, Senior Executive Service, Vice Director, Command, Control, Communications, and Computers, Joint Staff/J6, outlined his portfolio, which includes cyberspace operations, warfighting communications, and JADC2, as well as serving as the voice for the Combatant Commands. JADC2 is a framework that defines how DoD senses, makes sense, and acts across all domains with partners in support of the future warfighter. His team has spent the past several months developing the foundational documents required for DoD to move forward in conjunction with all of the services on JADC2, and the implementation plan to remedy gaps across DoD to enable JADC2 is awaiting approval. There is a sense of urgency across DoD to enable joint operations—the events unfolding in Afghanistan serve as a prime use case.

Mr. Jones explained that the J6’s cross-functional team has a direct line to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council to validate joint warfighting requirements and a direct line to the Deputy Secretary of Defense to make funding recommendations. The Air Force’s involvement in the cross-functional team has been valuable, he continued, and involvement from the other services will also be critical because the Joint Staff only creates the framework for what the services build to enable joint operations. The Joint Staff is,

however, leading an effort to create minimum viable products (MVPs); it would like to leverage Platform One for some of those MVPs, pending funding decisions, to determine how best to create a secure, interoperable environment for the Combatant Commanders to share, store, and process data so as to make better decisions at a faster pace. The Joint Staff would also like to do small test cases for ICAM, data, zero trust, DevSecOps, and transport. He asserted that zero trust and ICAM are foundational for JADC2: without the ability to authenticate and provide a level of trust for a person or a weapons system, challenges will arise throughout the process. Questions remain as to whether zero trust could be federated and whether there is enough bandwidth on classified networks to do AI and data exchanges for transport at speed. Another MVP opportunity is the Mission Partner Environment (MPE), which enables the fast and reliable exchange of information among coalition partners—a critical aspect of a JADC2 environment. In closing, he reiterated that DoD’s data challenges are significant (i.e., accessing real-time data in a contested environment from numerous systems and data feeds), and timely, reliable data are key to achieving globally integrated operations.

Open Discussion

Gen. Holmes asked if DoD’s primary challenges result from an inability to do globally integrated operations (i.e., the chairman cannot see everything that is occurring) or an inability to do centrally directed globally integrated operations (i.e., the chairman is unable to pass intent down to commanders to make decisions). Mr. Jones explained that the challenge is achieving real-time command and control in a data-centric environment. For example, if it is not possible to make sense because there is no sensing, it will be difficult to act. There is a tremendous amount of data feeds, but the feeds and systems do not speak the same language, and there are no application programming interfaces across the board to enable full collation of those data to drive operations. He suggested that executing data policies and holding people accountable for adhering to those policies would lead to authoritative and accessible data feeds. A participant wondered how to incentivize radical data transparency with suppliers, services, and Combatant Commands. Mr. Jones replied that the intention is to address and resolve gaps across DoD by identifying systems and organizations that do not provide data transparency and creating a requirement for future systems.

Gen. Holmes questioned whether there are other use cases that demonstrate the need to modernize. Mr. Sherman described capability testing that is part of Bold Quest 21, which will hopefully lead to realizing the vision for MPE. Furthermore, the Marine Corps and the Department of the Navy are conducting exercises to better understand potential edge capabilities. However, there is much more work to be done in terms of use cases. For example, he envisioned aircraft flying in a global positioning system-degraded environment using purely alternative forms of positioning, navigation, and timing “to put steel on target” in a real-world scenario and in a highly electronic warfare-contested environment. Mr. Munson asked if there is any interest in making use cases the vehicle to drive implementation and validation of digital transformation progress. Mr. Sherman referenced the governance in place to understand how a mission would apply a capability, but he championed the potential for more use cases. Mr. Jones added that operational use cases are driving the JADC2 reference architecture, which will define how everything across DoD will connect.

Gen. Holmes asked if there is consideration at the Joint Staff and CIO levels for counter data warfare, and Mr. Jones and Mr. Sherman acknowledged ongoing efforts in this area. Lt. Gen. Hamel inquired about the structure of the JADC2 cross-functional team, and Mr. Jones stated that although the J6 is the cross-functional team chair, the effort extends across DoD—the services play a key role in achieving joint operations. In addition to validating requirements and providing funding recommendations, the cross-functional team addresses five lines of effort: (1) data; (2) human enterprise (training and doctrine requirements to build a future force that can leverage capabilities for command and control); (3) technical enterprise (building transport and operating in a disconnected environment); (4) nuclear command, control, and communications; and (5) MPE.

In response to a participant’s question about human capital, Mr. Sherman remarked that DoD is in the process of updating its cyber workforce strategy to achieve a whole-of-nation approach for cybersecurity. Goals include increasing diversity; changing approaches to recruitment, retention, and reskilling; targeting high-demand, low density skillsets (e.g., data scientists); and reviewing security clearance processes. He emphasized the urgent need to think differently about talent management, especially as potential staff may be more attracted by employment opportunities in industry.

Ms. Westphal asked the panelists to look ahead 10 years and reflect on DoD’s priorities for transformation. Mr. Jones responded that data are the driver for the success of all DoD efforts, and Mr. Sherman added that cybersecurity is equally critical. Mr. Sherman shared his vision to transform the environment with zero trust so that the adversaries become perplexed by their inability to access the DoD network and affect Americans’ and allies’ power on the battlefield. He affirmed that protecting data is a key part of achieving security: if the United States does not protect its information advantage, it would regret that decision 10 years from now.