The U.S. Air Force is developing a transformational model, or TM, for decision advantage over adversaries and to support the continuous upgrade of its command and control systems.
The TM would enable U.S. warfighters to make decisions faster than the competition, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center said Thursday. Created by USAF’s Advanced Battle Management System Cross-Functional Team, or ABMS CFT, the model helps optimize the Department of the Air Force Battle Network, which aims to provide enhanced situational awareness, faster operational decisions and decisive direction to U.S. forces.
Modernizing C2 Systems and Decision-making
The TM intends to address the issues associated with modernizing C2 systems and decision-making, explained Col. Jonathan Zall, an ABMS CFT member. “The transformational model deconstructs command and control processes into their core elements, enabling the identification of tasks best suited for our machine teammates, and those that require human intervention,” he added.
Zall noted that the model seeks to provide a deeper understanding of decision advantage by using advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. With the TM, the Air Force hopes to improve its decision-making processes.
Helping Humans Make Informed Decisions
USAF conducted a series of experiments and saw encouraging results with the TM. During a September 2024 trial in Nevada, airmen showcased their ability to use the model to generate battle courses of action that automated human-machine teams’ decision quality and speed capabilities. According to Zall, the experiment demonstrated that the TM can help human operators make informed decisions.
Maj. Gen. Bob Claude, the ABMS CFT lead, said the TM‘s continued development and implementation will help the U.S. military achieve decision advantage, adding that such efforts will determine the outcome of future conflicts.
