TALKING PAPER
ON
AIR FORCE KEY LEADERSHIP MESSAGE
GENERAL MIKE HOSTAGE – FUTURE OF AIR POWER
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Introduction
-- Attention step: we all have future plans, but what about the Air Force?
-- Purpose, our mission is to fly, fight, and win, but we need to know where we’re going
-- Who better than the Air Combat Command commander, Gen Hostage?
-- Air Force Association 2013 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition speech
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History and evolution of Air Power
-- WWII taking the lead in Air Power against Japan/Germany
-- Moving into the Jet engine age during Cold War, helped in Korean War
-- Lessons learned from Vietnam prompted 4th gen fighters (F-15, F-16, A-10), similar
situation to now
-- Proved highly effective during Desert Storm, first overwhelming display of Air Power
-- …but that was 22 years ago “The formula for strategic irrelevance begins with expecting
future security while basking in past success.”
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Looking toward the future
-- Challenges we face
-- Threats of near-peer adversaries
-- Fiscal Constraints
-- Ops tempo not likely to lessen
-- Recapitalization and Modernization
-- The Joint Strike Fighter, F-35 Lighting II
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Conclusion
TSgt Morse/Flight M/M08/671-0286/sam/20 Nov 13
Bio:
He is responsible for organizing, training, equipping and
maintaining combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and
employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are
ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and
wartime defense.
As the Combat Air Forces lead agent, ACC develops strategy,
doctrine, concepts, tactics, and procedures for air- and spacepower employment.
Quotes:
Air Force Association 2013 Air & Space Conference and
Technology Exposition
“Sending Airmen into combat without the training they need,
without the equipment, parts and capabilities they need to be
fully effective is unconscionable – our Nation and our Airmen
deserve better than that.”
“The results have been overwhelming – the US and its Allies
amassing a 104 to 0 kill-to-loss ratio for the F-15C, our
preeminent air-to-air fighter over the 70s, 80s, and 90s.”
“It has come to be expected that our forces don’t worry when
they hear the sound of jet noise overhead…they know it is ours.”
“if our future force must be smaller, then it must be vastly more
capable.”
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