Airlift 2025

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Ronald R. Fogleman, has directed the Air University to conduct a major study on air and space power and concepts applicable to the year 2025 and beyond. This will include examination of innovative systems, new concepts of operations, and the emerging technologies enabling them. The study formally commenced in August 1995 when the students arrived for the Air University 1995-1996 academic year and will conclude in June 1996 with delivery of the final report to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The final report will be a logically ordered collection of white papers developed from the innovative concepts and technology abstracts submitted.Power projection is critically dependent on mobility forces. The air mobility system should be capable of supporting national objectives from humanitarian, non-hostile operations through armed conflict. Because of operational constraints that include evolving threats and reduced external infrastructure, the airlift system in the year 2025 should be independent of theater basing structure. International political changes will likely necessitate the basing of most, if not all, US military forces in the continental United States (CONUS). However, this will not end the requirement for a global US presence. Although the probability of direct foreign military threats to our interests may be slight, Air Mobility Command (AMC), the air transportation arm of US Transportation Command, must be prepared to conduct global air mobility on a daily basis. In addition, AMC must continue to support humanitarian and peacekeeping missions in both benign and hostile environments. These expanding requirements demand attention. This paper proposes technologically feasible concepts to meet the air mobility requirements posed by probable US national objectives in the year 2025.