The Joint Force is not maximizing airpower combat options due to insufficient weapons interoperability, stemming from "systematic tribalism" and flawed incentive structures. Policymakers expect global precision strikes, yet the U.S. military's current approach hinders flexibility. The Pentagon's existing acquisition reforms, like portfolio executives and modular open system approaches, are insufficient.
Three further changes are proposed: revising platform prioritization for new weapons, fully funding and enforcing modular open system compliance, and increasing aircraft-store compatibility engineering resources. Enabling weapons employment from every aircraft multiplies combat options, simplifies logistics, and enhances survivability by forcing adversaries to make difficult operational choices, as demonstrated by lessons from the Ukraine war and potential scenarios in the South China Sea. Current limitations include slow munition fielding, exclusion of legacy aircraft, and a focus on "threshold" platforms, leading to delays and resource constraints. Cultural resistance, such as Air Combat Command's initial opposition to F-16 integration for new missiles, further exacerbates issues. To achieve an effects-oriented force, the Defense Department must remove platform designations, fully fund standardized integration systems like the Universal Armament Interface, and invest in testing hardware and AI-enabled modeling for aircraft-store compatibility.
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