U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa Commander Gen. James Hecker stressed the importance of advancing joint and combined military capabilities, readiness, capacity and integration during a media round table at the 2024 Air and Space Forces Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Sept. 17.
Hecker, who also serves as the commander of NATO Allied Air Command, provided an update to his five Operational Focus Areas: Counter Anti-Access Area Denial, Integrated Air and Missile Defense, Agile Combat Employment, Command and Control, and Intel and Information Sharing.
Counter Anti-Access Area Denial (C-A2AD)
The use of Integrated Air and Missile Defense Systems has resulted in the loss of aircraft for both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war. In future conflicts, air superiority may come in pulses, requiring a shift in how military operations are conducted.
"We have to make sure that we can get rid of [Russia's] surface-to-air missile systems that would be a threat to us," Hecker said.
Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD)
Iran and North Korea have supplied ballistic missiles to Russia, and Russia is accelerating its production of cruise missiles. As these threats evolve, NATO must develop new ways to detect low-altitude threats and counter them with both kinetic and non-kinetic solutions.
Industry partners are already working on cost-effective solutions to address this challenge, Hecker said.
Agile Combat Employment (ACE)
Dispersing aircraft across multiple bases has become a necessary tactic in the face of advanced, precision-guided threats. While traditional strategies, like sandbagging aircraft at a single base, were effective in the past, modern threats require broader, more dynamic methods to ensure survival and operational readiness.
Command and Control (C2)
In an era of technological warfare, the ability to maintain operations without direct headquarters contact for extended periods can make or break a mission. Forces must be prepared to operate independently and make informed decisions on the ground, the general said.
"When you start dispersing aircraft at different bases, we need a way to command and control them, so we're coming up with clever solutions to do that," Hecker said. "We have to make sure we don't have point of failure and that we add redundancy in our communications."
Intel and Information Sharing (I&I)
I&I between the U.S. and its allies is critical, as the ability to share real-time intelligence and combat data enhances operational efficiency, Hecker said.
"The cheapest, quickest way to get combat capability is to share information with our allies, and it can't be a one-way street - our allies need to share information with us," Hecker said. "Sometimes it costs a little bit, but not near as much as a new weapon system. It's a policy decision…it's a stroke of a pen. We change the policy, we share information, and we become more combat capable in minimum time."
The round table was held ahead of the conference's "Deterring Russia in the Arctic" panel, where Hecker was joined by Alaskan Command Commander Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham, Air Chief of the Swedish Air Force Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman, and Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force Maj. Gen. Øivind Gunnerud.
