Command and control is one of the most important aspects of warfighting
Exercising effective command and control over thousands of aircraft and tens of thousands of troops would be one of the US Air Force’s major challenges in a conflict with China.
A recent large-scale exercise, however, provided valuable lessons to the Air Force about how that can be best achieved.
REFORCPAC and Command and Control
Over the summer, the Air Force held Exercise Resolute Forces Pacific 2025, or REFORPAC 25, testing the readiness of Air Force and Space Force units.
Air Force General Kevin Schneider, the commander of Pacific Air Forces, said that the exercise showed that in a potential near-peer conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific, the US military would be able to exercise sufficient command and control over the battlefield to achieve its goals.
“The first lesson was, we can do this,” Schneider said during a panel discussion at the Air and Space Forces Association’s annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference last week. “It was a massive challenge, and at times we were operating at 50 locations, 5,000 miles north-south, 6,000 miles east-west. Only the United States Air Force can pull off something like this and support the combatant commander.”
The large-scale military drill involved more than 15,000 personnel and over 400 fighter jets, strategic bombers, surveillance aircraft, air tankers, transport aircraft, and other air assets. REFORPAC 25 took place across over 50 locations and involved key allies, such as Australia, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. As part of the exercise, the Air Force tested its command-and-control capabilities.
“As we come out of REFORPAC, I think we are better equipped to go back to Headquarters Air Force and AETC [Air Education and Training Command] to identify those skill sets and those things that need to enter Airmen’s brains from day one as they come into our force to understand what it’s like to operate in a contested environment and how to be effective,” the senior Air Force officer stated.
To make matters more complicated, the US military would also need to deconflict and coordinate with allies and partners in a potential conflict with China over Taiwan or the South China Sea, increasing the difficulty of effective command and control.
“As we wrap up this summer’s exercise series, our Airmen are better equipped to understand what it means to operate in contested environments and remain effective,” Schneider added. “Moving forward, we do this as a team. We do this with our Allies and partners. Building a system that is inherently interoperable and includes releasable enclaves from the ground up is essential to success.”
Command and Control and Commander’s Intent
Command and control is one of the most important aspects of warfighting. Militaries are designed as chains of command. From day one of basic training, service members are indoctrinated to follow lawful orders without question. Anything else could lead to troops dying on the battlefield. This religious adherence to discipline and orders means that during combat, troops will look to their superiors, whether those are officers or non-commissioned officers, for directions. Ineffective command and control means that troops on the battlefield do not have the proper guidance. And that can lead to defeat or pyrrhic victories.
However, sometimes the best command and control is exercised when commanders provide their subordinates with flexibility. Historically, military forces have been very successful when commanders effectively communicate their intent to their subordinates, while also giving them the opportunity to achieve that intent through their own initiative and means.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: DVIDS.
