Article

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is enhancing its ability to generate airpower from dispersed locations through Agile Combat Employment (ACE), which emphasizes interoperability with partner nations. The RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) framework treats interoperability as a spectrum tailored to mission areas, focusing on operational requirements and partner capabilities.

USAFE seeks to improve cooperation on manpower-intensive tasks like aircraft maintenance and base operations support (BOS). In FY 2024, PAF will help identify interoperability obstacles and recommend solutions.

PAF's research highlights challenges in communication and planning across USAFE, necessitating a coherent strategy for interoperability. The framework includes assessing partner capabilities, establishing operational needs, and developing courses of action.

Specific areas of focus include aircraft cross-servicing for F-35 and F-16, and BOS functions such as airfield recovery and force protection. PAF emphasizes that achieving interoperability requires clearly defined goals and effective coordination within USAFE and with partner nations.