The US Air Force lacks imagination, and that’s a dangerous thing
"The US Air Force needs to rethink its approach to procurement before it’s too late," write Col. Maximilian K. Bremer and Kelly A. Grieco in this op-ed.
By Col. Maximilian K. Bremer and Kelly Grieco
on February 28, 2025 at 12:45 PM
A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany (left), flies alongside a German air force Eurofighter Typhoon assigned to the 74th Tactical Air Wing over Germany, Feb. 16, 2023. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Allison Payne)
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin has called his service to action, warning it faces a “time of consequence” when “the decisions we make, the actions we take” will determine if the Air Force is ready for the future fight. Deciding today what weapons, concepts and capabilities Airmen will need 10 or 20 years from now is no easy task, especially with war’s character changing rapidly.
Despite what some would say, the fundamental problem is not the size of the service’s budget, but a culture that is reluctant to embrace the risks that come with innovation. This leaves the service vulnerable to technological and doctrinal surprise — something we’ve seen before, from the shock of Pearl Harbor to the aerial attacks on September 11.
To meet the moment, the Air Force will need to hedge against a failure of imagination. And that means knowingly opening the service up to risk in several areas — especially around programs being allowed to fail and dollars sometimes being burned on new ideas.
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/02/the-us-air-force-lacks-imagination-and-thats-a-dangerous-thing/
