03 May 2021

JADC2 strategy, posture review in final stages

by Carlo Munoz

The policy underpinnings for the United States Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiative are in the final stages of review by senior department leaders, with the end product due to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin within the near term.

The overarching strategy will codify lines of effort among the services and within the department, in terms of co-ordination and contributions to the JADC2 initiative, said Joint Staff Chief Information Officer and US Marine Corps Lieutenant General Dennis Crall.

An unclassified version of the strategy has been completed and is awaiting Pentagon and Joint Staff approvals, Lt Gen Crall said. The classified version of the pending strategy will include details on JADC2 initiatives dealing with command and control systems for the US nuclear arsenal, he added. Classified and unclassified versions have been briefed to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, and are being prepared to be briefed to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, in preparation for final approval by Defense Secretary Austin.

The JADC2 concept, as envisioned, will enable US commanders to connect any sensor pod or platform to any weapon system, regardless of domain. While the effort is a joint concept, air force officials say the technologies developed for the JADC2 concept are designed to dovetail with the air service’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). Although programme requirements for ABMS are yet to be defined, air force officials have awarded several short-term development contracts for the combat concept that will theoretically be integrated into an eventual ABMS system of systems.

“This documentation is necessary to have a durable, repeatable, and durable way to do this in an orderly fashion, and make sure you are satisfied with the results,” the three-star general said, regarding the new strategy.

The policy underpinnings for the United States Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and ...

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