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revolution enables a significant increase in the sortie generation rates for the new com-
bat aircraft. And in addition to this core capability, there is a significant transition in
combat approaches facilitated by the new aircraft.

The aircraft can shape disruptive change by enabling distributed operations. The shift is
from linear to simultaneous operations; it is a shift from fighters needing reachback to
large aircraft command and control and ISR platforms to 360-degree dominance by de-
ployed decision makers operating not in a network but a honeycomb.

These lessons have been recently highlighted in the Trilateral Exercise held at Langley
AFB in December 2015.

If this exercise was held 12 years ago, not only would the planes have been different but
so would the AWACS role. The AWACS would have worked with the fighters to sort
out combat space and lanes of operation in a hub spoke manner.

With the F-22 and the coming F-35, horizontal communication among the air combat
force is facilitated so that the planes at the point of attack can provide a much more dy-
namic targeting capability against the adversary with push back to AWACS as impor-
tant as directed air operations from the AWACS.

As General Hawk Carlisle put it:

“The exercise was not about shaping a lowest common denominator coalition force but
one able to fight more effectively at the higher end as a dominant air combat force.

The pilots learning to work together to execute evolving capabilities are crucial to mis-
sion success in contested air space.”

Modernization of assets, enhanced capabilities to work together and shaping innovative
concepts of operations were seen as key tools for the U.S. and the allies to operate in the
expanded battlespace in order to prevail…..

And as the RAF highlighted:

Second Line of Defense Lessons Learned at Pax River
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