China and other adversaries' advancements in long-range strikes, electronic warfare, and proliferated unmanned capabilities pose a significant threat to U.S. fixed command and control (C2) nodes, which are vulnerable to targeting and could collapse U.S. situational awareness and decision speed. To counter this, the U.S. Air Force must complement its existing modernization efforts, including the E-7 and future space-based capabilities, with a mobile, federated C2 grid.
This grid would distribute sensing and communications across maneuverable airborne and ground nodes, fully realizing the value of theater-level assets at the tactical edge. The comprehensive approach integrates three mutually reinforcing layers: tanker-hosted Battlefield Airborne Communications Nodes to provide resilient standoff bridging, low-cost aerial vehicles with modular sensor and communication payloads to create a meshed “inside fight” network, and mobile ground sensors to close gaps and reduce reliance on fixed infrastructure. These elements collectively form a resilient transport backbone designed to degrade gracefully under attack and preserve decision advantage.
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